LOYALTY SWAP | SAN MIGUEL'S JERRICK AHANMISI HEIST

ALSO CHECK OUT:

THE TOP TERRAFIRMA PLAYERS OF ALL-TIME (AS OF 2025)

PART 1 | https://www.project-sydrified.com/top-15-terrafirma-players-of-all-time-part-1

PART 2 | https://www.project-sydrified.com/top-15-terrafirma-players-of-all-time-part-2

In the world of politics, Chiz Escudero moved from the majority to the minority to finally give the people what they want, and at the same time make Senate-flix even more must-see than it already is.

I mean, I had to scrap a political-based intro I wrote in the dead of the night because this morning, all hell broke loose again.

In the PBA though, aside from Justin Brownlee’s stunning Game 1 performance, the league once again did what it often does: quietly acquire or harvest a farm team star. This time, it involved two Terrafirma starters being sent for two San Miguel bench players and a second-round pick.

2025-26 PBA SEASON AVERAGES

TWO CONFERENCES COMBINED

SAN MIGUEL RECEIVES:

JERRICK AHANMISI

GP	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG
23	18.35	3.78	3.48	1.22	0.09

PAOLO HERNANDEZ

GP	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG
21	11.86	4.05	2.9	1.1	0.33

TERRAFIRMA RECEIVES:

JUAMI TIONGSON

GP	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG
34	4.29	1.18	1.74	0.18	0

CHRIS MILLER

GP	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG
17	3.35	0.88	0.35	0.35	0

2028 | SECOND ROUND PICK (SAN MIGUEL)

Now, I hope and pray that Terrafirma has already come to terms with the issues involving Louie Sangalang and Mark Nonoy, because they are giving up a lot here. Only in the PBA can Juami Tiongson, Chris Miller, and a 2028 second-round pick be considered acceptable value for Jerrick Ahanmisi and Paolo Hernandez. Ahanmisi alone already feels undervalued in this deal, and it stings even more that Terrafirma included Hernandez.

First up, let’s just say how bonkers this trade is. Throughout the season, Terrafirma’s story was that they unlocked Jerrick Ahanmisi’s superstar potential by giving him the freedom to unleash long-distance bombs alongside his brother Maverick. We all know he can shoot, but we never really saw this kind of usage in Magnolia, where he was mostly viewed as just a shooter. The reason he became expendable for the Hotshots was that Peter Alfaro is a better defender.

Then all of a sudden, SMC plucks him out of Terrafirma and sends him to San Miguel, just because he managed to overcome the odds and put up an All-Star season.

The same thing applies to Paolo Hernandez. He was originally a bonus acquisition for Terrafirma from Ginebra, along with Didat Hanapi, after they secured the rights to pick RJ Abarrientos, Stephen Holt, and Isaac Go. Terrafirma became the perfect avenue for him to showcase his talent. Hernandez developed into a player well known among NCAA fans. This smart two-way player can handle multiple positions if given the opportunity.

Again, San Miguel decided to let go of two players who were already limited in their playing time and received players who do not really address their big man needs. In the Philippine Cup, Terrafirma even used Aljon Mariano as a power forward, while Keith Zaldivar was the only other player aside from Geo Chiu who could play the center position.

At this point, the only logical explanation for the move is if Sangalang and Nonoy are returning to the squad. Even then, it is still hard to see how this improves anything for San Miguel, especially when they could have potentially gotten more value by trading away these two instead.

And here’s the thing with San Miguel. They are already loaded in the guard rotation. Tiongson, for instance, struggled for minutes alongside Cjay Perez, Jericho Cruz, Marcio Lassiter, Don Trollano, Chris Ross, and Kris Rosales. Miller’s situation was even worse, as the former import who has played in Iraq, Europe, and the Americas has often been reduced to a human victory cigar in limited minutes.

Why couldn’t San Miguel have just given Terrafirma JM Calma or Jeron Teng? Yes, they are still below Ahanmisi’s level, but at least they would have had a clearer path to developing their careers in Terrafirma. The inclusion of the second-round pick also raises questions, especially since the more valuable 2027 PBA Draft class is still ahead.

That said, there are still some positives for Terrafirma despite the talent gap between Ahanmisi and Hernandez. They do get Tiongson and Miller in return. Tiongson’s return marks the comeback of arguably their most established player. In more than 100 games, Tiongson has averaged around 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, and has been with all the incarnations of the franchise. As a point guard, he also fills a clear need, especially after they experimented with Ahanmisi, Maverick Ahanmisi, Hernandez, and Brent Paraiso at the position.

Then there’s Miller. Again, he has played across four continents, and there’s a chance this move turns into something similar to a Rashawn McCarthy or Jerramy King type of resurgence. From his appearances with San Miguel, it’s clear why he is often used off the bench just to provide instant scoring, even if it sometimes comes at the expense of efficiency. Surely, when he arrived in the Philippines to pursue a PBA career, the last thing on his mind was spending his early 30s stuck on an SMB bench. I can see Miller taking on the Jerrick Ahanmisi role if given the chance, but I wonder if there are other things we can expect from his game. Again, San Miguel turned him into a virtual “young boy,” and this is his chance to show that he is more than what we perceived him to be.

But as usual, the rich get richer in the PBA. We may already be numb to it, but the league sometimes needs to remind fans why these kinds of trades make sense without having to justify them after the fact. Transparency, even in the form of salary disclosure, would go a long way.

As for Terrafirma, I may already be numb to how they operate, but it still often makes little sense for a franchise to exist with no clear intent to seriously compete. I can somewhat understand Blackwater’s approach in moving Sedrick Barefield and Christian David, with one being overly ball-dominant and shot-heavy, and the other inconsistent and underwhelming. With Pat Aquino now calling the shots, the preference may simply be for system players over those who were merely “thriving” in Jeffrey Cariaso’s old system.

Still, Terrafirma clearly got the short end of the stick here. And the players they acquired may not realize it yet, but it is hard to see them getting significant opportunities with June Mar Fajardo and Cjay Perez anchoring the franchise moving forward.