CHICAGO - Zavier Lucero is playing the best basketball of his life, a showcase that couldn't have come at a better time as his contract with Magnolia is set to expire this September 30.
With the imminent departure of Will Navarro for the Korean Basketball League (KBL), plus the fact that the team's core of Ian Sangalang (33), Paul Lee (36) and Mark Barroca (39) is not getting any younger, re-signing Lucero is paramount.
Magnolia, however, isn't the only one drooling over the services of the versatile 6-foot-6 forward who landed with the Hotshots from NorthPort following a July 2024 trade.
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Careful not to tamper, a slew of KBL teams are quietly waiting how the Lucero-Magnolia negotiations are going to play out before pouncing on with an offer.
"They can easily throw $15,000 a month at his feet," a Korea-based agent told me on Monday, emphasizing that hybrid bigs of Lucero's skill level are at a different tier that allows them to make more money.
At that price, the Fil-Am from Vallejo, California is a bargain.
COMPLETE PACKAGE.
Through 13 games in a star-crossed Philippine Cup Magnolia campaign, Lucero was one of the few bright lights, averaging 18.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per.
His defense and strong fundamentals are A-plus while his offense is at an elite three-scorer level. The ability to space the floor, thanks to a 41,3 percent clip from 3, is the cherry on the sundae.
Of the 10 teams in the KBL, only the Anyang Red Boosters and Busan KCC (pending Navarro's signing). have a vacant spot for an Asian import.
But that doesn't mean the nine other squads won't sign Lucero if his renewal talks with Magnolia falls through and he becomes available.
"There are mid-season signings in the KBL up until December or early January," a Korea-based agent said, adding that "pre-arranged deals" such as the one Kevin Quiambao may or may not have allegedly entered into last season, are not unusual.
BUT IT MAY NOT COME TO THAT POINT, THOUGH.
Although it's unclear if Magnolia is aware of KBL's advances, the Hotshots, according to a team source, "are doing everything to keep Lucero" and make him the "focal point" of the team.
And rightly so.
The once-glorious franchise is going through a seven-year title drought, an emptiness that is exacerbated by the "introvoys" tag, an unflattering yet appropriate reference of a team that often starts well but couldn't finish the job.
Magnolia needs a reboot, a new face of the franchise.
Lucero, a 26-year-old stud approaching his prime, is all that.
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