There’s a storm brewing in the Converge camp, but in hindsight, maybe the warning signs were already there.
It likely started with the trade between Converge and Blackwater—BJ Andrade was shipped off in exchange for Rey Suerte. After a solid showing with the Bossing in the Governors’ Cup, Suerte’s playing time dipped in the Commissioner’s Cup. Meanwhile, Andrade was just regaining form after starting his pro career on the injured list.
Andrade’s departure is notable because he was one of nine rookies Converge fielded in the 2023-24 PBA season. He was also the second Converge player and the first of three Ateneans drafted by the team. In fact, you could even say four, if you count Pat Maagdenberg—technically a Magnolia pick, but still given a rotation spot alongside Andrade, Inand Fornilos, and Andre Flores.
Did his connections help?
Absolutely.
Being close with former Ateneo guard and current Converge team manager Jacob Lao, as well as being the nephew of two-time PBA MVP and current Converge assistant coach Danny Ildefonso certainly didn’t hurt. Heck, at one point, I even thought they’d make a move for Dave Ildefonso from NorthPort.
Andrade had a solid run as a starter for Ateneo, but in hindsight, many second and third-round picks from that draft class have had better PBA careers than him—guys like Bryan Santos, JL Delos Santos, and King Caralipio, for instance. Then, just as things were settling, news broke that Charles Tiu resigned to spend more time with his family. If only this were the same reason Tim Cone had when he left Alaska for B-Meg. Soon after, former UP Fighting Maroon Gelo Vito, Nico Francisco, and analytics specialist Paolo Maligalig also stepped down. To fill the void, former NU coach Manny Dandan and ex-NU player Chico Manabat were brought in. Meanwhile, Alex Cabagnot retired (again) to join the UE Red Warriors’ coaching staff.
Now, rumors are swirling about Starhorse acquiring Terrafirma’s franchise, with PBA expansion in the mix. And that’s where things get even more complicated. In theory, the only way an independent team could compete with the SMC and MVP groups is by pooling their resources. And for a while, it seemed to work—Justine Baltazar came from Delta Pineda’s Pampanga Giant Lanterns and Jordan Heading from Jacob Lao’s Strong Group Athletics. Even MJ Garcia was picked up from Pampanga’s MPBL squad.
But this situation is a mess compared to SMC’s well-oiled machine. Ginebra, San Miguel, and Magnolia may operate within the budget set by Ramon Ang and Alfrancis Chua, but at least there’s structure. At Converge, the power struggle between Delta Pineda and Strong Group for control of the franchise has led to chaos. Maybe that’s why no-brainer moves like signing Arwind Santos or Encho Serrano never materialized—and why the team seems to be flooded with Ateneo alumni.
That said, in the Governors’ Cup, only Andrade, Fornilos, and Mike Nieto saw action from the Blue Eagle contingent, while Letran had four representatives: Kevin Racal, Jeo Ambohot, Caralipio, and Pao Javillonar. Racal may be from an earlier generation, but the latter three were part of Letran’s NCAA dynasty—essentially a parallel to Ateneo’s UAAP dominance, albeit a few years ahead.
So, will all these shake-ups lead to an implosion at Converge? Starhorse could use a Strong Group backer, but even with the Terrafirma core and their MPBL Basilan squad, it’s an uphill battle for a new team. Meanwhile, Blackwater—long seen as the MVP group’s farm team—has quietly stacked former Alaska pieces. On top of acquiring Andrade, they also signed another Atenean, ex-San Miguel forward Troy Malillin.
If Blackwater finally decides to step up, and with SMC potentially losing its farm assets to the new franchise, an imploding Converge could give rise to two hungry contenders. The real question now is: What happens to SMC’s rumored farm team, NorthPort, and MVP’s alleged farm team, Phoenix?