Tugade, Adducul traded to Beermen

San Miguel Beer came away with two blue-chip players in Lordy Tugade and Romel Adducul to boost a sagging campaign in the current season as Red Bull agreed to a trade deal with the SMC group involving four other players and three future draft picks.

On top of its wish list in the off-season, San Miguel eventually got the nod of Red Bull for the services of Tugade, the former National U hotshot, who is among the league’s marquee players at present.

But the SMC management also had to go through Barangay Ginebra to come up with a deal acceptable to Red Bull.

Red Bull acquired Migs Noble and Mark Kong plus the Beermen’s 2007 second round draft pick and 2008 first round pick. Meanwhile, San Miguel gained Tugade, Adducul and Omanzie Rodriguez while Ginebra took in Paolo Hubalde plus Red Bull’s 2007 first round pick.

"They had been persistent on their bid to get Lordy since our annual board meeting in Macau (during the off-season). We thought their offer was good, so we had a deal," said Red Bull team manager Tony Chua.

"We also thought Lordy would benefit in this deal. He might be looking for longer playing time which we couldn’t give under our system. At San Miguel, he could get those minutes specially with Danny Seigle sidelined by injury," Chua added.

Another player who could gain some headway in his career because of the trade is Adducul, who has been languishing in Ginebra’ s frontline rotation on the arrival of Rafi Reavis and Billy Mamaril.

At San Miguel, Adducul is likely to gain starting role with Danny Ildefonso on the injured list.

Tugade and Adducul will play their first game with San Miguel as the Beermen take on the Alaska Milk Aces at the Talk n Text PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center today. Both teams are struggling with the Beermen winless in three starts and the Aces sporting only one win against three defeats.

Meanwhile, Talk n Text’s Jay Washington and Air21’s Homer Se were suspended for one game for misconduct during their game last Wednesday.

Coca-Cola, hot on a two-game run, and Talk n Text, stopped on its tracks the last time out, clash in the day’s other game.

Red Bull gained additional frontliners in Noble and Kong but the coaching staff’s suggestion is for the team to first take in reserve guard Warren Ybanez to fill in the slot vacated by Tugade. The team has two other reserves in Mike Hrabak and rookie Magnum Membrere.

The Bulls play their first game following the departure of Tugade Wednesday against the Sta. Lucia Realtors. Tugade led the Bulls in scoring and placed fourth in the MVP race last year.

With Tugade’s exit, Junthy Valenzuela and Mick Pennisi are left as the only remaining players from the original Red Bull team in 2000.