A NEW season of the PBA is about to begin. As usual, developments during the offseason remained as colorful as the action on the court. And in the wheeling and dealing, teams made efforts to strengthen their lineup, while others maintained their championship form. Some, however, have unfortunately taken a step back.
SPIN.ph examines them in this piece.
GAINERS

BLACKWATER
The Bossing really made an effort to become competitive after ending a PBA record 29-game losing streak. They started in the draft by picking a big man they have long needed in Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, who made waves in stints with Alab Pilipinas in the ABL and Limitless App in the PBA 3x3.
Blackwater also had solid picks in Mark Dyke, a player who can crash the boards, along with Ato Ular, who gained much-needed exposure in the commercial leagues. Yousef Taha is also a welcome addition to the Blackwater frontline after a decent stay with Alaska.

RAIN OR SHINE
The Elastopainters looked on the verge of losing Javee Mocon, a player who was previously groomed as the next star of the team. But Rain or Shine appears prepared for the impending loss of a marquee player with players that fit the team’s culture of blue-collar workers.
Gian Mamuyac made a name for himself as a top defender with Ateneo, while Jhonard Clarito moves up to the PBA after gaining valuable championship experience with the San Juan Knights. Shaun Ildefonso will also be bringing his energy to the team.

CONVERGE
The newcomer made the first step in being competitive by purchasing the Alaska franchise – lock, stock, and barrel – instead of entering the league as an expansion team. And with two first-round picks, Converge made sure it addresses what it lacks, getting bigs in Justin Arana and Jeo Ambohot.
Arana is coming off a season with Arellano where he captured the Defensive Player of the Year while stretch-four Ambohot brings his championship experience from Letran after taking the Finals MVP in the recently-concluded NCAA Season 97. With the bigs already filled, Converge traded for a young stud in Kurt Lojera to add to the pieces of the team.

BARANGAY GINEBRA
Coming off a championship in the Governors’ Cup, Barangay Ginebra made sure that its future is in good hands, trading for the second pick Jeremiah Gray, who is down with an ACL injury. Ginebra can afford to wait for Gray with the team still stacked, but will definitely have a spot in the team after the retirement of Mark Caguioa and Joe Devance. Jayson David will also be a serviceable player which will also bring familiarity to the Kings, being a member of the 3x3 team.
EVEN
MERALCO
The Bolts made a slight change to the roster by signing free agent big man Kyle Pascual, but have kept the core that played in the Governors’ Cup finals intact.
SAN MIGUEL
The Beermen signed Jeepy Faundo and Michael Canete during the offseason, but they are still the same powerhouse that once dominated the Philippine Cup. June Mar Fajardo is also coming off a solid showing in the Southeast Asian Games, a sign that the six-time MVP is back to his old form.
MAGNOLIA
Little movement as well for the Philippine Cup runner-ups. The only question is that can the Hotshots be healthy during the late stage of the conference.
TNT
The Tropang GIGA will now play with former Gilas prospect Jaydee Tungcab, but beyond that, they remain an intact team for their Philippine Cup title defense.

NLEX
No major changes for the Road Warriors, but they are glad to have Calvin Oftana back after being sorely missed by the team during their run in the Governors’ Cup.
LOSERS
NORTHPORT
Still reeling from the loss of Greg Slaughter, NorthPort struggled to fill the gaping hole in the frontcourt. Worst, the Batang Pier will reportedly be without Troy Rike, a serviceable big man. JM Calma and John Apacible are the only rookies that were signed but are relatively undersized bigs. NorthPort even made a last minute change by signing Chris Javier to shore up the frontcourt. Robert Bolick and Arwind Santos, however, will keep NorthPort competitive this season.
TERRAFIRMA
The Dyip could have had a franchise player in its hands in Jeremiah Gray, who many thought was one of the best talents in the recent draft. Instead, Terrafirma traded an injured Gray to Ginebra for Javi Gomez de Liano and Brian Enriquez. From the start, the Dyip had few options in the draft in the absence of a second round pick, limiting their chance of getting more young talent. It even lost Kyle Pascual to free agency after he opted to sign with Meralco.
PHOENIX SUPER LPG
In terms of drafting, the Fuel Masters were one of the winners, having secured projected Top 10 pick Encho Serrano in the second round. The Fuel Masters also got Tyler Tio and Chris Lalata while veteran Sean Anthony is set for a return. The downer, however, is that Phoenix has yet to reach an agreement with Matthew Wright, the team’s franchise player since it entered the PBA in 2016. A move to Japan looms, but Wright said he is committed to play and give his all to Phoenix in the Philippine Cup.
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