CHICAGO - The Jacob Lao era has officially begun at Converge.
In his first edict since becoming the youngest ever PBA team manager, the 25-year old scion of a business titan pulled the trigger on a two-team trade that allowed the FiberXers to stockpile present and future assets.
"It was Jacob who made the deal happen in consultation with team governor Boss Delta (Pineda) and team owner sir Dennis Uy. Jacob knows what he is doing and we trust him completely," Converge coach Aldin Ayo told me in a telephone interview.
READ: Converge trades Tratter, Murrell to Magnolia for Wong, draft pick
The trade, which was approved by the league on Friday, sent Abu Tratter and David Murrell to Magnolia in exchange for Adrian Wong and a first-round pick in the 2023 PBA draft sometime this September.
In the 6-foot-3, 175-pound Wong, an Ateneo alumnus by way of Texas, the FiberXers acquired a prolific shooting guard who can burnish a solid backcourt that is already inhabited by Maverick Ahanmisi and Jerrick Balanza.
Though he was sparingly used by the Hotshots this conference, logging a mere 11.03 minutes in 11 games, Wong reminded all and sundry of his prowess by scoring 29 points to win MVP honors in the rookie sophomore junior game held during the PBA All-Star Weekend last March 10.
MINING PICKS FOR BALTAZAR?
Obviously, the pick from Magnolia, on top of one the FiberXers already possess, is the added gem here.
Justine Baltazar, who has close ties with team governor Pineda, is rumored to enter this year's draft class and securing an additional pick allows Converge another opportunity to acquire the 6-foot-10, 250-pound gem.
"That would be ideal," Ayo admits. But he also concedes that the pick might not be high enough to secure Baltazar, who is expected to be among the top three taken in the draft.
Still, because Comverge is potentially picking as high as No. 7 they are in a great position to grab a good talent that would fit well in Ayo's fabled system.
In other words, Friday turned out to be a really good day in the office for Jacob Lao.
GOOD HAUL. While they parted ways with Wong and a pick, Magnolia got a pretty good haul as well.
In Abu Tratter, the Hotshots acquired the services of a 6-foot-5, 231-pound big that is extremely needed to fill in the void left by Ian Sangalang, who has been sidelined indefinitely with a thyroid issue.
For some reason, one that coach Ayo would rather not delve on, Tratter's usage had decreased to 20 minutes per game this conference, causing his production to dip to just 8.0 points and 4.7 rebounds.
Tratter max deal
Perhaps Tratter, who is signed to a max deal until 2025, simply needs a change of scenery.
When Sangalang returns, Magnolia will have a twin towers that can wreak havoc in the All-Filipino conference.
David Murrell, the slam dunk champion in this year's All-Star festivities, is averaging a modest 4.1 points in 10.8 minutes of action this conference.
But he is extremely athletic and long.
And knowing coach Chito Victolero, he might just be able to weaponize Murrell on the defensive end.
Unlike trades associated with rich super teams, this one is fair and that is why we're not hearing any howl from the fans.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph