PBA Trade Rumors: Converge, Rain or Shine, Phoenix and Meralco, WHO WILL ASK FOR A TRADE NEXT?

 

In the second installment of our series predicting the next player from each PBA franchise to formally request a trade, we shift our focus to the brewing situations surrounding Converge, Rain or Shine, Meralco, and Phoenix. As a reminder, we are ignoring players who have already reportedly asked out and focusing strictly on predicting the next domino to fall.

We are done with this teams: PBA Trade Rumors: San Miguel, TNT, Magnolia Terrafirma, WHO WILL ASK FOR A TRADE NEXT?

Converge FiberXers: Jonel Policarpio Even with his deep, undeniable connection to FiberXers' governor and head coach Pineda, Jonel Policarpio recently raised eyebrows across the league by dropping a cryptic post on social media. In the modern basketball landscape, a cryptic post is rarely just a coincidence—it is usually the opening salvo of a player testing the waters. If Policarpio is bold enough to put his frustrations out there publicly despite his close ties to upper management, it proves he has the absolute guts to formally ask for a trade. Do not be surprised if that request hits the front office's desk sooner rather than later.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters: Caelan Tiongson While guard Andrei Caracut is still technically in a Rain or Shine uniform, the worst-kept secret in the league is his rumored trade demand, which most expect management to grant in the near future. So, who follows him out the door? Look closely at Caelan Tiongson. Right now, Tiongson is arguably a top-two player on this Elasto Painters roster, providing massive two-way value. The glaring issue for Rain or Shine is always the financials. I am simply not sure the independent franchise has the money—or the willingness to spend it—to keep a premium, high-performing asset like Tiongson long-term. We have seen this exact movie play out before when they failed to secure Gian Mamuyac. If the checkbook doesn't open, Tiongson will likely ask for a ticket to a team that can pay him his market value.

Meralco Bolts: Aaron Black The situation surrounding Aaron Black at Meralco is fascinating and, frankly, a bit uncomfortable. His minutes have been completely and totally diminished within the Bolts' current rotation. Unless Black is miraculously happy to just sit on the bench and quietly wait out this drought—which no competitive athlete in their prime actually wants to do—he has to start looking at his exit options. Black has proven he can be an effective guard in this league, and formally asking to be traded might be his only viable path to getting a legitimate shot at relevance and consistent playing time in another system.

Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters: Ricci Rivero In the past, the dominant trade rumor surrounding Phoenix always centered on veteran Jason Perkins and his reported desire to be shipped elsewhere. But if we are predicting the next player to demand a move, Ricci Rivero is the prime candidate. Rivero brings a massive built-in fanbase, and more importantly, his on-court production has genuinely been improving. When a player marries undeniable popularity with an ascending game, their market value and leverage skyrocket. If Phoenix cannot match his ambitions or string together enough wins, Rivero could easily use his star power to demand a trade to a heavyweight franchise ready to give him a much bigger spotlight.

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