TNT KaTropa dealt away Terrence Romeo for two role players and a future Draft pick of San Miguel Beer, a move that came after management acted on fellow players’ requests to trade away the three-time PBA scoring champion.
David Semerad and Brian Heruela, who have been playing behind the shadows of the multi-titled Beermen’s established stars, were given up by San Miguel together with its first round pick in 2021.
The deal, which has been forwarded to the Commissioner’s Office for approval of Willie Marcial, was reached Monday, a day after the 2018 Draft, as Texters’ management deemed it best to release Romeo rather than risk jeopardizing chemistry in the team.
An Inquirer source, who knows everything about what is happening in the team but who spoke on the condition that he is not identified, bared that seven TNT players have sought out management practically petitioning Romeo’s removal from the team.
The same source said that the team biggest stars were the ones who talked to management about it.
“He (Romeo) ruined the chemistry in the team, from what we gathered,” the source said as he added that management and coaching staff are preparing to welcome Heruela and Semerad with open arms and give them the chance to really shine on their own with the Texters.
“It’s such a pity because he is such a talented offensive player,” the source continued as the initial plan for Romeo to take over the team when Castro retires after TNT traded for him with GlobalPort last season will obviously not happen now.
“But you cannot allow just one player—no matter how talented—to destroy what you’ve built over the years.”
The source said that Romeo has gotten into fights with a lot of his teammates, most especially during practice sessions when coaches call for hard practices and he doesn’t want to get hurt.
“He doesn’t want to be touched in practices and goes after his teammates when this happens,” the source said of Romeo. “And he wants everything to be centered on him, which cannot happen.”
The trade was the biggest to happen after the Draft, even bigger than the Poy Erram to NLEX deal that the Road Warriors and the Blackwater Elite have worked on.
The source, however, felt that the deal with the Beermen could serve the PBA well, and that he wished Romeo continued success with his third team in a turbulent professional career.
“He will be going to a star-studded team and joining that team will be a treat for the fans to watch,” said the source.
Romeo first came to the league with GlobalPort and was traded after he had an on-court spat with coach Pido Jarencio live on national television, which prompted management to trade him away.