MANILA – Negrense Raul Soyud is now a TNT Tropang Giga. The PBA finally approved on Monday the lopsided and much-talked about three-team, five-player trade that also involved NLEX Road Warriors and Blackwater Bossing.
Soyud, a native of Bago City, Negros Occidental, is a solid addition to the Tropang Giga’s frontline rotation, which was very undersized as exposed in their loss to the San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Philippine Cup finals.
Soyud had vast improvement the past few seasons with the Road Warriors under then head coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao where he became a candidate for PBA Most Improved Player award in 2020.
Soyud and Calvin Oftana were first shipped by the Road Warriors to the Blackwater Bossing for top-overall pick Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and two future second round picks.
In the original proposal, it was supposed to be Paul Desiderio who should come along with Ganuelas-Rosser to the NLEX but the PBA Office asked the Bossing to change it to two future second round picks instead.
The PBA Office reportedly asked for the revision since the NLEX cannot utilize Desiderio for the rest of the 2022-2023 Season due to his torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury.
Also, Desiderio is facing controversy due to his domestic abuse case, which was being investigated internally by the Blackwater management but still no outcome as of presstime.
After acquiring Soyud and Oftana from the Road Warriors, the Bossing quickly shipped them to thd Tropang Giga in exchange for Jeth Troy Rosario and reserve Gabriel Banal.
Despite other PBA team’s contentions on the trade since it involved Ganuelas-Rosser, the 2022 PBA Draft No.1 overall pick, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said it was a legal move.
According to Marcial, there was a proposal among the PBA teams to prevent the trade of the no.1 overall pick for at least two years but it never turned to a formal league policy.
“So far, wala talagang policy ang PBA regarding the trade of No.1 picks,” Marcial said. “It was supposed to be approved by the PBA Board noong 2019 kaso hindi rin natuloy.”/PN
