What the hell?
TNT and Blackwater are trying to concoct this absurd trade that would send Rey Nambatac to the Tropang GIGA for former Gilas Pilipinas pinch hitter Kib Montalbo and a second-round pick.
I know TNT is in dire need of players. I also said in a previous blog that TNT has no first-round picks for the next three drafts. In fact, Blackwater used the 2024 TNT first-round pick to acquire Nambatac from Rain or Shine. Trading Nambatac to TNT is probably a given, but Montalbo is NOT at par with Nambatac based on averages, even with an additional draft pick.
THE STATS:
REY NAMBATAC | RAIN OR SHINE / BLACKWATER
YEAR OF BIRTH | 1994
DRAFT | 2017 – ROUND 1, PICK 7 – RAIN OR SHINE
2023-24 SEASON | 11.1PPG – 2.8RPG – 4.4APG – 1.0SPG
PBA HIGHLIGHTS | Averaged in double figures in four seasons
KIB MONTALBO | TNT
YEAR OF BIRTH | 1996
DRAFT | 2019 – ROUND 1, PICK 11 – TNT
2023-24 SEASON | 3.9PPG – 1.6RPG – 2.8PG – 0.7SPG
PBA HIGHLIGHTS | 2-TIME PBA CHAMPION
And if you think TNT's second-round pick is a game-changer, then you are mistaken because the Tropang GIGA hasn't used their picks to select prospective cogs for their championship drive. Monbert Arong, their last selection, was left unsigned.
TNT'S SECOND-ROUND PICKS SINCE 2017
2017 | 22 - MONBERT ARONG
2018 | NONE - TRADED TO NLEX, THEN PHOENIX, THEN TERRAFIRMA (CYRUS TABI)
2019 | NONE - TRADED TO RAIN OR SHINE (WENDELL COMBOY)
S46 | NONE - TRADED TO RAIN OR SHINE (ANDREI CARACUT)
S47 | NONE - TRADED TO PHOENIX (ENZO JOSON)
S48 | NONE - TRADED TO BLACKWATER, THEN TO NLEX (JHAN NERMAL)
I know TNT needs a player. But I also think Blackwater needs to show that they aren’t pushovers. How can they perform well in any season if they are willing to trade their second-best asset for TNT’s ninth-best performer this season? In fact, I don’t see any player at par with Nambatac unless they trade low for him by sending Calvin Oftana, Jayson Castro, and RR Pogoy. Hell, why would Blackwater trade for Kelly Williams and in some ways, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, who has suited up for three teams in just his sophomore season?
If I am Blackwater, I am willing to package Nambatac for two of Henry Galinato, Kim Aurin, and Kib Montalbo. Hell, even Aurin is not a good one-for-two deal because while Aurin will take advantage of the Blackwater situation, he is a third-round selection pitted against a Top 30 or 40 player this season.
A couple of days ago, Dioceldo Sy had this idea of nerfing San Miguel, Magnolia, and Ginebra by creating a Protect 10 soft PBA team reset. It’s a good idea if they are also proactive in making their team competitive. They might have gotten Troy Rosario from TNT, but this season alone, they traded away Baser Amer, Ato Ular, and their 2025 first-round pick to the MVP teams for questionable returns.
Again, why is this trade even a thing?