THE day after Magnolia pulled off a late-season trade, Hotshots coach Chito Victolero looks like a man who is a bit conflicted.
Magnolia gained a prized frontline asset in Abu Tratter and an athletic, vast improved forward in David Murrell in the trade approved by the PBA on Friday, but Victolero also had to let go of one of its upcoming young players.
READ: Converge trades Tratter, Murrell to Magnolia for Wong, draft pick
Although Adrian Wong mostly came off the bench for Victolero in his first season since being picked up on the free agent market, the Hotshots coach said it wasn't easy letting go of the former Ateneo guard.
"It's hard lalo na para sa akin to let go of Adrian because he's one of our top perimeter defenders and 'yung attitude and work ethic n'ya special din kasi," said Victolero when sought for comment about the trade on Saturday.
At the same time, Victolero said the opportunity to get a physical, 6-foot-5 big man like Tratter is hard to pass up, especially with the return of starting center Ian Sangalang from a thyroid issue very much uncertain.
Tratter averaged 8.0 points and 4.7 rebounds with Converge this season, even though his minutes dwindled to 20 per game in the final stretch.
Still, Victolero said "'Yung opportunity to get another quality big man mahirap din palampasin, kasi nga we feel we need Tratter to improve our frontline."
Aside from Tratter, the Hotshots also got Murrell in the deal, which cushions a rookie draft pick - which by unofficial calculations would come at late first-round at best - that the team had to give up.
"I think [the trade] is a win-win," he added.
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