BARANGAY Ginebra is set to acquire NorthPort's Jamie Malonzo in a blockbuster trade that will also involve San Miguel.
Sources bared that Malonzo is set to be dealt to the Kings in exchange for Arvin Tolentino, Jeff Chan, Prince Caperal, and Kent Salado.
Ginebra will also be acquiring Von Pessumal once NorthPort completes a separate deal that will enable it to acquire the former Ateneo gunner from San Miguel in exchange for future draft picks.
According to sources, the trade will kick off with Ginebra sending Tolentino, Caperal, Salado and two future second-round picks to NorthPort for the high-flying Malonzo.
NorthPort will then send the two future picks to San Miguel for Pessumal, who it will then send to Ginebra for the veteran Chan.
Sources said the trade has been in the works for a time now but it is unclear if the final version has been forwarded to the PBA office for approval.
Rumors about Malonzo's impending transfer to Ginebra has been going around for months, the talk growing louder when unverified claims of his presence in the Gin Kings' practices cropped up.
Details of the developing deal emerged on the same day the PBA approved the controversial three-team trade that brought Calvin Oftana to TNT, Brandon Ganuelas Rosser to NLEX, and Troy Rosario to Blackwater with minor revisions.
In the final iteration of the deal, two Blackwater second-round draft picks in 2022 and 2025 will go to NLEX instead of the injured Paul Desiderio.
The 6-foot-7 Malonzo is coming off a conference where he averaged 17.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks for the Batang Pier.
The athletic wingman recently earned a spot with Gilas Pilipinas in the August window of the Fiba Basketball World Cup Asia qualifiers after he was classified with finality as a local by the international basketball federation (Fiba).
Once the trade is official, Ginebra will part ways with Tolentino, who has emerged as the top shooter of the Kings after converting 35 percent of his attempts from downtown during the Philippine Cup.
He also averaged 11.9 points for the Kings this conference.
