Trade Analysis: Barako Bull-Meralco Trade

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Surprise! Jason Ballesteros is going to Barako Bull.

So I missed out something last Tuesday. There was an out-of-my-radar trade that happened that day. The Meralco Bolts gave biggie Jason Ballesteros to the Barako Bull Energy for Sunday Salvacion and Carlo Sharma. This trade came as a surprise because the Bolts lent the services of star center Asi Taulava to the San Miguel Beermen of the ABL the previous week.

1. Barako Bull Energy

Coach Junel Baculi of Barako Bull calls Ballesteros, the Bolts's first round pick last year, a "project player". The former San Sebastian Golden Stag will give the Energy a tall order in preparation for the slam-bang affair with Petron, featuring their own beanpole June Mar Fajardo. Baculi hopes that he and his coaching staff's skill can turn Ballesteros into an effective inside player.

2. Meralco Bolts

As aforementioned, this trade stunned the Meralco fans since it will be likely that Ballesteros will get the starting center spot now that Taulava's off to the ABL. But Ryan Gregorio said during an interview with InterAksyon.com that they will focus on Jay-R Reyes as their starting 5-guy. Well, they got two good players in Sharma, who is known as an efficient defender at the post, and Salvacion, who can shut the lights out from the outside. Gregorio also added that Sharma will be their main defender against Fajardo once Meralco and Petron clash.

Conclusion: Barako Bull clearly won this one. You can't escape from the fact that Salvacion and Sharma are both aging players. While Sunday can still do a "Special", it's not as big as his Ginebra days anymore. Sharma has been journeying from one team to another since leaving the old Barako Bull franchise now named under Air21 because of the other teams's preference of young guns.

Trade Rumor Mills: The Project's Not Done Yet

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Just when I thought the PROJECT is done, it was just the first phase. The second phase is about to start. What will happen in Phase 2 is that the PROJECT will be handed over by Team B to Team G. Team G will give a COOL CAT to Team A2. Team B will acquire a RED CAT from Team A2.

The PROJECT was actually given by Team M to Team B in an earlier trade that we missed out. It was Coach B who called this BIG DEER the PROJECT. Now I don't know how the PROJECT will be handled by Coach G. The RED CAT has been well known to be a major bad cat last year. Ironically, he was given a name quite the OPPOSITE OF being a MAJOR headache. The COOL CAT is actually in the trade radar of Coach A2.

The letters represent the first letters of the teams involved, but they're not the first letters of the names of the coaches.

Trade Rumor Mills: The Project's Not Done Yet! Reloaded

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Small but terrible--that's how Team G describes this warrior.

It looks like Coach A2 might not get what he wants after all. Team G called up at Team A2 saying that Team G can't give in to their wishes of giving up the cool cat. Instead, Teams G also called Team B and made a second version of the Phase 2 of the PROJECT.

The PROJECT will still be handed over to Team G from Team B, who will still get the RED CAT WITH A NAME OPPOSITE OF MAJOR. This time around, Team A2 will receive a LITTLE WARRIOR from Team G.

About the LITTLE WARRIOR being offered to Team A in place of the cool cat, he just got the name simply because one host calls him LITTLE. Another clue: try doing the LAUNDRY and WALK simultaneously.

Trade Rumor Mills: From Being Fiery to Being Wild

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One team is ready to pass their fireball to another team for a wild player.

It looks like Team S is doing a major makeover for the next season. From being on FIRE, Team S is going WILD this time. Team S is willing to give their FIREBALL in exchange for a WILD guy from the WESt. Team B will get the FIREBALL, while the WESterner is coming from Team P. Team P got nothing in the exchange, as far as the active players are concerned.

It's easy to guess who the FIREBALL is. The WILD WESterner was with his college team when they won a championship exactly a decade ago. Guess what. This trade was already given the yes vote management-wise and was just submitted to the Commissioner's Office yesterday. Get ready, guys! This trade is for real.

Trade Rumor Mills: After a Tune-Up Game

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While a preseason game was ongoing, I heard that the managers of the teams
involved in the match are working out on a trade.

While these two teams compete in a preseason game earlier, I heard that the teams's respective managers are doing an initial draft of a trade. The first team, according to sources, is willing to give up a BIG BOMBER and a guy named MR. DOUBLE R to get a DEFENSIVE ARCHER, a LITTLE WARRIOR, and MR. BM from the second team.

I'll name the BIG BOMBER Eyeshield 21. I coined the term DOUBLE R for the second guy because that's his initials, same with the case of MR. BM. The DEFENSIVE ARCHER is not as tall as his contemporaries at his position, the power forward spot, but he's one heck of a banger who can disrupt anyone's shot attempt. The LITTLE WARRIOR got that nick because a broadcaster loves to call the WARRIOR by the description.

I don't know if this could serve as a clue, but you need to see this: