The five-man PBA trade committee on Thursday approved a revised version of the Meralco Bolts-Blackwater Bossing trade. Under the new deal, the Bossing will now receive two players.
Center Bryan Faundo will now be joining guard Baser Amer to Blackwater in exchange for forward Mac Belo. Faundo played six games in the eliminations of the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup in Clark, Pampanga, carrying averages of 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds.
"I've been with Baser for a long time so it was difficult to come to this decision. He's a valuable point guard and has been a big part of our team for the last 5 years," said head coach Norman Black in a statement. "We are very, very thankful and grateful for his service."
"We're also thankful for Bryan's service to the team. He's been with us for five years and Bryan has been a really important part of the Bolts," added Black. "To gain something of value, you unfortunately must lose something of value as well. We thank Baser and Bryan, and we recognize all of their contributions. We wish them nothing but the best in their career."
The long-time coach explained that Belo's addition will add depth to their frontcourt, an issue that had plagued the team in the previous years.
Meralco, on the other hand, believes that the three-player swap was "beneficial to both teams."
"[The trade] will provide both players competitive environments to showcase their talents. As an organization, we remain committed to fair and exciting competition," said team management in a statement.
Faundo will be reunited with the Blackwater franchise, for whom he played in 2014. "He's a steady big man with good shooting touch," team owner Dioceldo Sy told ESPN5.
With additional reporting from Richard Dy.