MANILA, Philippines – Magnolia bid Jio Jalalon goodbye after nearly eight years with the team.

The Hotshots dealt Jalalon and Abu Tratter to NorthPort in exchange for Zavier Lucero in a two-for-one trade approved by the PBA on Monday, July 15.

Picked by Magnolia in the special Gilas Pilipinas round of the 2016 Draft, Jalalon helped turn the Hotshots into one of the best defensive teams, a run highlighted by a championship in the 2018 Governors’ Cup.

The veteran guard from Arellano earned three All-Defensive Team selections and claimed the Defensive Player of the Year honors from the PBA Press Corps.

But the writing was on the wall for Jalalon as Magnolia selected former Adamson guard Jerom Lastimosa with the No. 10 pick in the latest draft on Sunday, July 14.

Jalalon averaged 9.7 points, 5.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for the Hotshots last season.

While Jalalon parted ways with his first PBA team, Tratter got shipped for the fourth time in his career as he joins his fourth team in the Batang Pier.

Tratter, drafted by NLEX in 2018 before being traded to Blackwater, Alaska/Converge, and Magnolia, averaged 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds last season.

Although the Hotshots let go of one of their best guards in Jalalon and a bruising big man in Tratter, they get one of the best young forwards in the league in the 6-foot-6 Lucero.

Lucero, drafted fifth overall by NorthPort last year, averaged 12.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 steals in the Philippine Cup last season.

On Monday, the Batang Pier also traded big man Ben Adamos to Barangay Ginebra in exchange for returning forward Sidney Onwubere. – Rappler.com