LOYALTY SWAP | ALJON MARIANO BECOMES COLLATERAL DAMAGE IN THE MAVERICK AHANMISI TRADE

I remember watching Game 3 of the UAAP Season 76 Finals right in my office. Years after graduating, I got this awesome UST jacket from a friend, and I wore it religiously every time the Tigers played. Sure, I’m a GMA guy, but we all tuned in to Studio 23 for UAAP games back then — especially the finals.

And man, I was pissed when Aljon Mariano went full hero ball in the dying seconds of regulation. Even Coach Pido Jarencio was furious. There were open teammates, but Mariano took the shot like he alone carried UST to that point. Then came that errant pass to Kevin Ferrer in overtime, which led to Almond Vosotros’ clutch jumper — sealing the DLSU Green Archers’ championship over my Growling Tigers.

I can still feel that sting. For years, I hated Mariano’s decision-making as much as the rest of the UST community did. It didn’t help that while I was rooting for Mark Caguioa in the pros, I couldn’t stand seeing Mariano on the court. Eventually, I told myself to move on — it’s been ten seasons, after all. But no, that wound still lingers. The pain is similar to Dino Aldeguer's clutch dagger.

Those shots live rent-free in my head, especially whenever my La Salle officemates bring it up.

Fast forward to now — and for the first time, I actually feel sorry for Mariano. As Tim Cone told SPIN.ph, “one wanted to leave, and one wanted to stay” when Mariano was included in the trade that sent him and Maverick Ahanmisi to the Terrafirma Dyip for the team’s Season 51 first-round pick. Of course, Ginebra ends up with Terrafirma’s pick, while the Dyip are left hoping their record is better than Converge’s — whose own pick went to Terrafirma in a previous swap involving Jordan Heading.

Alright, back to the PBA side of things.

For Maverick Ahanmisi, this move is a fresh start and a chance to rediscover his scoring groove — plus, he gets to team up with his brother Jerrick. Much like Jeron Teng, Ahanmisi became part of Converge’s effort to erase traces of the old Alaska Aces. Before joining Ginebra, he had a career year with Converge, posting personal highs in scoring and assists. Around that time, he even called out the PBA’s All-Star selection system — not to insult anyone, but to point out that some players only made it because of their ties to SMC teams.

Ironically, when Ahanmisi signed with Ginebra, he ended up getting the fan support he once criticized. He earned his first All-Star nod in 2024 and put up numbers similar to his Alaska/Converge days.

But with the arrival of Stephen Holt, his playing time shrank — from 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds in 2023–24 to just 7.5 and 3.6 the following season.

For Mariano, things got worse. His already limited minutes dwindled further, with Cone giving more time to Ralph Cu and Jayson David.

Anyway, Ahanmisi is expected to thrive in Terrafirma, but it’s hard to say the same for Mariano. Like many players who leave SMC’s main teams, he risks becoming a journeyman — or at best, a returning role player in a SMC team who barely sees action.

The bigger concern here is Terrafirma itself. International players are watching this situation closely. One reason why several foreign-based prospects skipped the 2025 PBA Draft was the Dyip’s financial instability. For players used to earning big abroad, Terrafirma’s offers might not even come close — and their losing record means fewer bonuses, too.

But now that the pick is now with Ginebra, then these players might think twice.

Sure, guys like DJ Fenner and Quinton Millora-Brown might take the risk, but imagine if players like Kai Sotto or AJ Edu eventually come home. If both give up on their NBA dreams and Tim Cone still runs Gilas, he’d want them here.

Still, I can’t help but question Terrafirma’s long-term future. Are they even going to last another season? This is the same franchise that once had Christian Standhardinger, Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle, and Vic Manuel — and they all walked away. While I admire how Louie Sangalang, Paolo Hernandez, and JM Bravo are holding things down, we all know they’ve lost around 20 players over two years. It’s a team hanging by a thread.

That first-round pick could’ve been their ticket to a fresh start — a valuable piece for potential buyers — but I doubt a 34-year-old Ahanmisi will spark much interest.

That said, he’ll get his shot to be the main man at Terrafirma. As for Aljon Mariano? I’m hoping Tim Cone is right — that this could be his long-overdue chance to finally revive his career.