MANILA, Philippines – Magnolia pulled off its first trade of the season with hopes of turning its fortunes around in the PBA Philippine Cup.

Off to a shaky 2-2 start in the All-Filipino tiff, the Hotshots acquired Jerrick Balanza from Converge in exchange for a future second-round pick, the league announced on Thursday, April 11.

The addition of Balanza comes in the middle of an injury-riddled campaign that saw Magnolia lose forwards Aris Dionisio and Rome dela Rosa, who both hurt their ankles earlier this conference.

Without Dionisio and Dela Rosa, the Hotshots lost back-to-back games to Barangay Ginebra and NLEX before it got back on track with a crucial win over NorthPort.

Balanza parts ways with the FiberXers after just over a year as he is to set play for his fourth PBA team in Magnolia.

Picked 13th overall in the 2019 PBA Draft, Balanza suited up for Barangay Ginebra and NorthPort before he got shipped to Converge in January last year, reuniting him with his former Letran coach Aldin Ayo.

Balanza saw limited action for the FiberXers in the Philippine Cup, averaging 2.7 points and 1.5 rebounds in just under seven minutes of action per game.

With the Hotshots, Balanza gets a chance to nail his first win of the conference as Converge remains winless in six games. – Rappler.com