MANILA, Philippines—TNT tapped into the growing free agency market and signed big man Mark Acuno in hopes of filling in its depleted front court.
Acuno is set to fill in the gap that Carl Bryan Cruz and Troy Rosario left in the Tropang Giga’s lineup with the two nursing injuries in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
The 6-foot-7 center was the 14th overall pick of the 2021 Draft but Blackwater barely used him during the season.
Acuno was instead relegated to the unrestricted free agency list.
🚨GIGA UPDATE🚨
We have acquired 6-foot-7 rookie Mark Acuno from free agency to bolster our frontcourt💪🏻#TropangGIGA pic.twitter.com/cy9xzFO8fM— TNT Tropang GIGA (@TNTTropangGIGA) January 21, 2022
“We have acquired 6-foot-7 rookie Mark Acuno from free agency to bolster our frontcourt,” posted the Tropang Giga on Twitter.
TNT could’ve acquired Acuno back in 2021 with Blackwater packaging the University of the East product along with Cruz for Chris Javier and a first round draft pick.
The PBA Office, however, ordered the two clubs to revise the trade with the transaction pushing through after TNT packaged Jay Washington and two second round picks in the 2022 and 2025 Drafts for the Bossing’s Cruz.