The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) landscape experienced a significant shift with the approval of a major trade sending rising star William Navarro to the Magnolia Hotshots. In return, the NorthPort Batang Pier acquired veteran forward Calvin Abueva, guard Jerrick Balanza, and Magnolia's second-round pick for the PBA Season 51 Draft in 2026. The PBA Commissioner’s Office officially approved the trade on a Tuesday, shaking up the basketball community just hours after an earthquake was felt in Southern Luzon.

William Navarro, who had become a crucial player for NorthPort, especially during Arvin Tolentino's absence, is expected to be a major addition to Magnolia's frontline. This move reunites Navarro with Zav Lucero, who previously joined Magnolia from NorthPort in a July 2024 trade that involved Jio Jalalon and Abu Tratter. Navarro, a former Ateneo standout, has been performing solidly for the Batang Pier in the ongoing Philippine Cup, co-leading the team with Joshua Munzon.

For Calvin Abueva, 37, this trade marks a new chapter as he joins his fourth PBA team in a colorful 13-year career that began in 2012. Known as 'The Beast' for his energetic play, Abueva had a four-year tenure with Magnolia, having arrived via a trade from Phoenix in 2021. During his time with the Hotshots, he won a Best Player of the Conference award but the team fell short of a championship, securing runner-up finishes in the 2021 Philippine Cup and 2024 Commissioner’s Cup. The trade also means Abueva parts ways with close friend and former San Sebastian College teammate Ian Sangalang, with whom he won an NCAA championship in 2009.

Jerrick Balanza returns to NorthPort for his second stint with the team, having previously played for them from 2020-2022. He was originally traded by Ginebra to the Batang Pier in a deal facilitating a pick swap in the 2021 draft. Balanza was described as a second-string forward in the package sent by Magnolia.

The trade was consummated just days after Magnolia and NorthPort faced each other at the Candon City Arena, making that match the last for Navarro, Abueva, and Balanza with their former teams. Navarro's debut for the Hotshots could occur in a high-stakes "Manila Clasico" against Barangay Ginebra on Sunday night, with a potential twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals on the line. Magnolia currently leads the Philippine Cup standings with a 7-1 win-loss record and is aiming to end a seven-year title drought.

Meanwhile, Abueva is slated to make his debut for NorthPort two nights earlier against the TNT Tropang Giga. The Batang Pier, holding a 1-6 record, are looking to string together wins in a bid to keep their quarterfinal aspirations alive.