TITAN Ultra Giant Risers have scrapped the proposed trade that would have sent Joshua Munzon to TNT Tropang 5G in exchange for reserve center Joe Celzo and a future first-round draft pick.
Giant Risers team manager Jessica Arsolon confirmed the development a day after reports surfaced that the two sides had initially reached an agreement on the deal with the reigning PBA Governors’ Cup champions.
“We are not doing trade for Munzon,” Arsolon said in a message to Fastbreak on Thursday.
The proposed deal had been in the works for several months. TNT previously offered veterans Rey Nambatac and Glenn Khobuntin for Munzon, but Titan Ultra turned down the package and sought to have big man Henry Galinato included in the trade.
According to a Thursday post by the Juan Manila Facebook page, citing a reliable source, Titan Ultra’s latest preference was for TNT to include three-point specialist Jordan Heading in exchange for Munzon.
The proposed trade also drew strong criticism from Abante Bilyonaryo Group’s Homer Sayson, who questioned the value of the package reportedly offered by TNT.
“The proposed trade sending Titan Ultra star Joshua Munzon to TNT for a future pick and an ancillary piece is highway robbery,” Sayson said.
“And the PBA becomes a willing accomplice if it approves this insanely one-sided deal.”
Sayson also likened the proposed transaction to exchanging a luxury item for substantially less valuable merchandise.
“It’s foolishness such as this proposed trade — swapping a Hermes Birkin bag for a pair of knockoffs from Divisoria— that make fans sour on the PBA,” he said.
Munzon has been one of the Giant Risers’ key contributors this conference, averaging 15.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in eight games.
He emerged as one of the league’s promising two-way players during his breakout campaign with NorthPort last season, when he was named the PBA Most Improved Player and selected to the All-Defensive Team. (Adrian Co)
