PBA: Petron to get Maierhofer, Chua in complex four-team trade

THE Sol Mercado-Alex Cabagnot swap may just be the tip of the iceberg.

According to insiders, Petron/San Miguel and GlobalPort are involved in another complex deal with Air21 and Barako Bull that will see seven players and draft picks changing hands on Tuesday morning.

The two-part deal, which is set be reviewed by PBA commissioner Chito Salud on Tuesday, will start off with GlobalPort sending veteran wingman Leo Najorda to Barako Bull for Jonas Villanueva who in turn will be shipped to Air21 for two-guard Bonbon Custodio.

Petron/San Miguel will then get involved in the second part of the transaction, dealing sophomore Yousef Taha and its 2016 second-round pick to Barako Bull for Rico Maierhofer.

Taha will then be sent by Barako to GlobalPort for rookie Justin Chua, who will then be shipped by the Energy to Petron/San Miguel for sweet-shooting big man Jason Deustchman and the 2016 second-round pick.

Once the whirl of transactions are approved by Salud, Petron/San Miguel will end up as the biggest winner by getting two big men to shore up its frontline in Maierhofer and Chua.

Barako will get Deustchman, Najorda, and a future draft pick; GlobalPort will get back former player Taha and Custodio to add to Cabagnot, who arrived from Petron/San Miguel in a separate deal in exchange for Sol Mercado.

On the other hand, Air21 will finally have a legitimate point guard in Villanueva.

Still, the biggest gainer is undoubtedly Petron/San Miguel, which will now have Maierhofer and Chua to boost a frontline that depended too much on June Mar Fajardo in the last Philippine Cup campaign.

However, the deals are dependent on the approval of Salud.

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