THOUGHTS | WILL NAVARRO MOVING TO MAGNOLIA (RANT)

Oh no.

Is it harvest time already???

I honestly thought the alarm bells were for Arvin Tolentino, given his near month-long absence from NorthPort. But then—boom. Out of nowhere, Will Navarro gets traded to Magnolia for Calvin Abueva, Jerrick Balanza, and a 2026 second-round pick.

And I have to say it: this move is straight-up moronic.

How in the world is NorthPort supposed to chase a championship when they keep letting the SMC machine gut their roster? Yes, we've seen flashes of farm-team behavior before—but shipping out Navarro, when they already lack size, is a new low.

Just this conference, they already traded JM Calma to San Miguel for a pick and Avan Nava. Then they sent Abu Tratter to Blackwater for James Kwekuteye. Now, with Sidney Onwubere, Cade Flores, Agem Miranda, and Damie Cuntapay as their frontline anchors (and let’s face it—they're not exactly top-tier bigs), they trade away arguably their most promising frontcourt talent?

Let’s break this down.

Cade Flores? Sure, he had a solid rookie season—but then, out of nowhere, his minutes started disappearing. And if that was the plan all along, then seriously, why didn’t NorthPort just let him play more, especially in a conference with no imports eating up frontcourt minutes?

Calvin Abueva might bring intensity, sure. He’s the Pinoy Dennis Rodman—but he’s also in his mid-30s and only 6'2". If this were The Beast of Alaska or Phoenix or his first two seasons with Magnolia, then this would have been good if Northport had a stable frontcourt. Also, Abueva has a tendency to lose it if he's playing for a team without direction. He may have volatile reactions every now and then, but it's better for him to play in a "haven" like Magnolia than in a chaotic wasteland than what is left in Northport.

That’s not solving your size problem.

Jerick Balanza? Okay, sure, reunion with Bonnie Tan, but if you’re fishing for ex-Letran stars from Season 94, Bong Quinto would’ve been a smarter target. And that 2026 second-round pick? Let’s be real—this isn’t the Paul George–Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trade. NorthPort isn’t pulling a future Jalen Williams out of this.

Meanwhile, they’re stacked at guard. They’ve got Jio Jalalon, Evan Nelle, and Fran Yu battling for minutes at PG, and now you’ve got Joshua Munzon, Kwekuteye, Paolo Taha, and Allyn Bulanadi all trying to squeeze into the SG/SF rotation. So… what’s the plan? Is Arvin Tolentino coming back as an undersized power forward? Or is he checking out too?

Even worse, Coach Chito Victolero says this trade was long-planned. That’s not reassuring—it just means while NorthPort was trying to build something around Tolentino, Kadeem Jack, and Munzon, SMC was already plotting to tear it down.

If NorthPort had actually won the last conference, would this trade still have happened?

Probably.

Because at the end of the day, the SMC system gets what the SMC system wants.

And let’s be honest: Terrafirma's frontcourt would body NorthPort's current bigs right now.

If Magnolia really wanted Navarro, they could’ve at least thrown in Ian Sangalang, Aris Dionisio, Russel Escoto, James Laput, or Rafi F’N Reavis—any size, really.

And how did the PBA even approve this deal?

And don’t even get me started on NorthPort supposedly trying to bait Converge into trading away their players. What are they aiming for—Jeo Ambohot, King Caralipio, and Pao Javillonar? Sure, they’re former Letran standouts under Coach Bonnie Tan and haven’t seen much action with the FiberXers, but why would Delta Pineda give them up that easily? Don’t get me wrong—Calvin Abueva still has value—but Converge is built for the future. If NorthPort really wants those guys, they’re probably better off waiting for free agency than trying to swing a straight-up trade.

Look, I’m used to lopsided trades. I get that. I will even defend it in some extent.

But this?

NorthPort just agreed to deplete their starting lineup in exchange for a declining veteran with Hall of Fame credentials, a fringe rotation player, and a pick that might never matter.

Will Navarro is averaging nearly 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists this season, not just because he’s talented, but because he’s been forced to carry the load on a thin roster. After Navarro, the next big rebounder is tied between Onwubere and Munzon. And while Navarro is just averaging 0.57 blocks per game this conference, the only other players that were able to breach the 0.50 mark are again, Onwubere, and Tolentino, who missed five of their seven games.

Unless there’s something going on behind the scenes that we don’t know—maybe NorthPort is the one on its way out of the league? Or maybe they’re disappearing alongside Terrafirma?

Either way, PBA, what are we doing?