CJ Perez is officially headed to San Miguel after the PBA's five-man trade committee approved the proposed trade between the Beermen and Terrafirma with a slight modification, the league announced on its website on Tuesday.
SMB will send out three role players in center Russel Escoto, guard Gelo Alolino and forward Matt Ganuelas-Rosser for the 2019 Rookie of the Year.
The Beermen's 2020 (upcoming draft or Season 46; the league refers to the next draft as the 2020 draft) and 2022 first-round picks are also included in the deal. SMB holds the eighth pick in the current draft. Originally only the 2020 pick was included.
ESPN5.com sought SMB officials for comment on the trade, but they have yet to respond.
Perez led the league in scoring for a second consecutive season and averaged 24.4 points on 43.6 percent shooting, 6.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals in 37.2 minutes of action. Terrafirma finished 1-10 in the elimination round.
Terrafirma, meanwhile, will receive three bench players.
The 27-year-old Alolino played just seven minutes per game in seven games and logged 2.7 points on 44.4 percent shooting to go with 0.7 assists and 0.3 rebounds. Escoto, 28, saw action for 12.2 minutes in 13 games and tallied 2.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks.
Ganuelas-Rosser did not play in the PBA bubble but managed 1.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.4 steals in 45 games for the Beermen during the 2019 PBA season.
"It's good. It's a fair trade. We got big men in Russel and Matt, and Alolino's a big guard," Terrafirma head coach Johnedel Cardel said. "We only had one pick in the first round, now we have the No. 8 too, which is better. The rookie draft is very deep, and they're all very talented."
Cardel also said team officials will now move to look for its next franchise star in the rookie proceedings set on Mar. 14. Terrafirma holds the top pick and can choose among the likes of Jamie Malonzo and Joshua Munzon, although the Dyip have yet to decide who they will select.
"We all decided to trade away CJ so we can have more choices in this draft. This draft is historic -- we see about 30 to 40 excellent players," he said. "At least now we can see who we'll get to fill our needs."
"We need another CJ to groom," Cardel continued."At No. 8, we will get the best talent available. We also need a big man who can stop the likes of June Mar or Greg Slaughter. Those are our needs.