2025 PBA DRAFT REVIEW | PHOENIX FUEL MASTERS

Phoenix is a strange case in the PBA. They aren’t as blatant a “farm team” as Terrafirma, NorthPort, or even Blackwater, yet the franchise and its predecessors—Tanduay, FedEx/Air21, and Barako Bull—have long been known more for giving away stars than for building championship contenders.

In fact, if you trace their lineage, this group of franchises has managed only two finals appearances in over two decades, making them one of the league’s most desolate basketball outposts.

Phoenix itself has yet to reach a finals series, and last season they barely escaped the cellar by finishing ahead of Blackwater.

With a new coach in Willy Wilson and a batch of rookies from the 2025 draft, there’s hope, but whether that turns into real progress is anyone’s guess.

The crown jewel of their haul is Will Gozum, the former NCAA MVP who carried Benilde to back-to-back finals appearances. At his peak, he drew comparisons to Benjie Paras, but injuries have slowed him down, and his stint with the Quezon Huskers has been inconsistent. Still, his interior scoring gives Phoenix a much-needed inside presence, though his lack of defense and overlap with Kai Ballungay could complicate development.

The Fuel Masters also grabbed Dave Ando, reuniting him with former UST teammate Bryan Santos, though at this stage Ando feels more like a long-term project. Harvey Pagsanjan, picked all the way at 26, could be a sneaky steal—he has shades of Ricci Rivero in his game but offers more versatility as a combo forward. As for the later picks, Aldave Canoy is an unknown commodity, but making the roster would already be a win. King Gurtiza, however, is the heartbreaker. At 48th overall, it’s unlikely Phoenix will give him a contract, but his run with EAC proved he can lead and produce, and you wonder if his draft stock might have risen had Allen Liwag stayed with the Generals and added a few more wins to their NCAA campaign.

Realistically, Phoenix will bank on Gozum, Ando, and Pagsanjan to make the team, with the others fighting for practice slots. The only catch is that most of these rookies are still tied to MPBL squads, meaning Phoenix has to wait before they can fully integrate them.

On paper, the Fuel Masters addressed two glaring needs: height in the frontcourt with Gozum, Santos, and Ando, and youthful guard depth with Evan Nelle and possibly Gurtiza. That gives Wilson the tools to retool the roster, but whether this signals a rise from their long-running mediocrity or just another false dawn remains the big question.

Phoenix has a history of surviving rather than thriving, but if these picks pan out, maybe—just maybe—they can finally start rewriting their reputation.