LOYALTY SWAP | TNT SIGNS JOE CELZO

Fresh off San Beda’s championship run, Joe Celzo has been signed by the TNT Tropang 5G. He didn’t make the Philippine Cup playoff roster, but he’ll likely see some action next conference. I get that Celzo isn’t a big-name signing, but TNT badly needs reliable role players, which is why I’m actually good with this move.

Celzo was picked in the fourth round of the 2025 PBA Draft and was one of three players — along with John Barba and Gab Cometa — who returned to school to finish their NCAA eligibility after going unsigned. Like Cometa, Celzo was never the star of his team, but he thrived in his role as San Beda’s inside stopper. That was enough for TNT to sign him over their third-round pick, Sean Quitevis.

TNT’s biggest problem has been its injury-hit frontline. Realistically, Celzo won’t get heavy minutes since he’ll be behind JP Erram, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, and Henry Galinato. Still, Chot Reyes now has a guy who already understands his role. Maybe he’ll mostly see garbage-time minutes — but not every college star becomes a pro star, and not every role player fades away.

Look at James Kwekuteye. He was the main man at San Beda when Celzo was in his third year, playing alongside JB Bahio, Cliff Jopia, Damie Cuntapay, and Peter Alfaro. Bahio has since broken out with NLEX, while the others are carving out solid roles as energy guys off the bench. They’re not filling up the stat sheet, but they’re doing exactly what their teams need from them.

Meanwhile, Kwekuteye hasn’t quite produced the numbers many expected after his stellar collegiate career. And to be fair, that isn’t entirely his fault. He went from Blackwater to NorthPort to Phoenix with the expectation that he’d be a high-volume scorer. Back in San Beda, he was basically the NCAA version of Schonny Winston — the go-to guy.

So maybe what Kwekuteye really needs is a team that will let him be the primary scorer again. Right now, he’s struggling because the role he’s been given doesn’t fully match the kind of player he was developed to be.

The good news for Kwekuteye is that Phoenix won’t stop him from trying to get his groove back. The team has several aging shooters and slashers, so he can really be that missing piece — especially if they bring in a bruiser import who might push Kai Ballungay, Ken Tuffin, and Bryan Santos down the rotation. Right now, the only real obstacle in his path is Ricci Rivero, who has finally found his footing in the league.

Interestingly, Rivero was once in the same situation as Kwekuteye just a few seasons ago. And with the Fuel Masters needing a reliable high-scoring option off the bench, there’s definitely a path for Kwekuteye to thrive if he can seize that role.

For Celzo, this is already a win. He’s made it to the PBA, and now he’ll grind for his next contract. He’s exactly what TNT needs right now — a low-ego guy who will simply do his job. And who knows? He might even get a shot at a championship along the way.

For a fourth-round pick, this is really not a bad deal at all.