Justin Chua joins TNT after his stint with NLEX. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines–The PBA on Thursday approved the three-team, six-player trade that sent one-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Justin Chua to TNT.
Chua and Paul Varilla will head to the Tropang Giga from the NLEX Road Warriors under the deal that also involved the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
TNT also received NLEX’s second round pick in next season’s Rookie Draft.
NLEX will get veteran Sean Anthony and Jake Pascual, who will reunite with his former San Bead coach Frankie Lim while Phoenix got J-Jay Alejandro, Raul Soyud and TNT’s second round pick in the league’s 52nd season.
It will be the second time Chua plays for TNT after a four-game appearance back in the 2017-18 season.
He gets a chance to regain his form after a stellar showing in the 2020 Philippine Cup bubble earned Chua the distinction as the PBA Press Corps’ best defender while finishing second in the race for Most Improved Player honors during a stint with Phoenix.
The Road Warriors acquired Chua in the 2021-22 Governors’ Cup, but his minutes have been inconsistent after Lim took over following the departure of coach Yeng Guiao.
He averaged 9.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 13 games for NLEX in the recent Commissioner’s Cup.