Enrico Villanueva and five other key players of the 2003 Ateneo champion team in the UAAP have found themselves reunited at Barangay Ginebra.
Villanueva has moved over to his fourth team in the pro league as he figured in a major multi-player trade deal consummated Monday by sister teams Purefoods and Barangay Ginebra with Burger King as the intermediary.
The former Ateneo King Eagle, who has played for Red Bull, San Miguel Beer and Purefoods, was shipped to Barangay Ginebra alongside Rich Alvarez, Paolo Bugia and Celino Cruz a day after the 2009 PBA Rookie Draft.
Villanueva, Alvarez and Bugia are reunited at the Kings camp with former Ateneo teammates JC Intal, Doug Kramer and Macky Escalona.
In giving away the four players, the Giants, in return, reacquired the services of point guard Paul Artadi and also got frontliner Rafi Reavis, off-guard Cholo Villanueva and Chris Timberlake, the Kings’ first round, eighth overall pick in last Sunday’s Draft.
In allowing themselves to be the third party in the Purefoods-Barangay Ginebra transaction, Burger King acquired rookie draftee Orlando Daroya plus Purefoods’ 2012 first and second round Draft picks.
PBA operations chief Rickie Santos said this multi-player transaction has been approved by commissioner Sonny Barrios.
The Giants and the Kings entered into this deal with both teams hoping to strike a balance in their respective lineups for the coming 35th PBA season.
In getting Rico Maierhofer as the No. 2 pick in the Draft, the Giants only got more duplication at the power forward-center spots with the former La Salle standout joining Villanueva, Bugia, Marc Pingris, Kerby Raymundo, Don Allado and Romel Adducul.
Pingris was reacquired last week by the Giants from Burger King in exchange for their first and second round picks in next year’s Draft. Prior to that, Pingris was acquired by the Whopper in the trade that sent Arwind Santos to San Miguel Beer.
With the trade, the Giants also hoped they have solved their problem at guard spots.
Artadi and Timberlake are now to rotate with Roger Yap at the 1-position. (NC)
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