SMBeer firms up PBA return with solid cast

MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel Beer, the flagship brand of the giant SMC conglomerate, is returning to PBA play next conference with a revamped coaching staff and a beefed-up roster.

New head coach Biboy Ravanes and consultant Todd Purves will have at their disposal a lineup souped up by new trade acquisitions Sol Mercado and Rico Maierhofer.

Out to make an immediate impact in its PBA return, San Miguel Beer entered into a complex trade deal with Globalport, Barako Bull and Air21 involving five other players and two future draft rights.

The Beermen, reverting back to their old banner from Petron Blaze, acquired Mercado from the Batang Pier in a straight swap for Alex Cabagnot and got Maierhofer from the Energy Cola for Jason Deutchman and their second round picks in the 2016 and 2017 Rookie Draft.

Part of the deal approved by commissioner Chito Salud was the transfer of Leo Najorda from Globalport to Barako Bull, Jonas Villanueva from Barako Bull to Air21 and Bonbon Custodio from Air21 to Globalport.

A more complex trade proposal, involving San Miguel’s Yousef Taha and Globalport’s Justin Chua, was nixed due to technicality.

A league rule prohibits traded players from returning to their former teams until after two conferences.

Taha was supposed to be traded back to Globalport for Chua.

Earlier, San Miguel Beer effected a coaching staff overhaul, with Ravanes elevated from assistant to head coach and Gee Abanilla moving from head coach to team manager.

Ravanes is to work closely with their foreign consultant Purves, the same strategy the team applied during the time of Olsen Racela and Rajko Toroman.

San Miguel Beer has actually been rebuilding the past three years but with not much success.

Meanwhile, Meralco gave two-time MVP winner Danny Ildefonso a contract-extension deal for the rest of the season.

Ildefonso was previously signed to a brief contract in the Philippine Cup.