2025 PBA DRAFT REVIEW | MAGNOLIA HOTSHOTS

Magnolia has often been a team that treats the PBA Draft as an afterthought, usually preferring trades or free agency to fill their needs. Just last year, they strengthened their core by plucking Zav Lucero and Will Navarro straight out of NorthPort’s playoff rotation, a move that made them scarier on paper without investing in rookies.

But with LA Tenorio now at the helm, the approach feels different.

The former Ginebra floor general wants players who can grow within his system, and after years of near-misses under Chito Victolero—just one championship in 15 conferences—the Hotshots are clearly looking to reset their identity.

Picking up Paolo Taha in free agency already signaled a fresh start, and the 2025 draft provided another step in that direction.

Their headline pick is San Beda’s Yukien Andrada, who projects as a younger version of Ian Sangalang with a more modern twist. Unlike his brother Yutien, who was defense-first during his Alaska days, Yukien has developed into a stretch big with legitimate outside touch, even helping the Red Lions to an NCAA championship. He was their leader in Season 100 and will reprise that role in Season 101, meaning Magnolia will need to wait for him to finish his collegiate stint before he can contribute. Still, with Navarro exploring a KBL opportunity and Lucero yet to sign, Andrada feels like the perfect “upside pick” at exactly the right time. In a league where floor-spacing bigs can change the dynamic of an offense, Yukien has the potential to be a difference-maker if Tenorio can harness his skills.

The rest of Magnolia’s haul—Atenean guard Gab Gomez in the third round and Adamson’s Joshua Yerro in the fourth—are long shots to crack the rotation. With veterans like Paul Lee and Mark Barroca still holding down the guard spots, opportunities will be scarce, but Tenorio’s hunt for youth might carve out occasional minutes. A wildcard scenario would be seeing Andrada reconnect with his former Red Lion teammate Peter Alfaro, which could give Magnolia’s bench a surprising boost of chemistry.

In the bigger picture, Magnolia’s roster remains one of the league’s best, but their championship drought looms large. Suppose Tenorio can successfully blend these young pieces into his system. In that case, the “Intro Boys” tag might finally fade, and the Hotshots could reestablish themselves as true contenders instead of perennial almosts.

PICK	MAGNOLIA HOTSHOTS	COMBINE TEAM
1	YUKIEN ANDRADA | 6	BLACKWATER
2	GAB GOMEZ | 30	RAIN OR SHINE
3	JOSHUA YERRO | 41	NLEX