The new Magnolia Hotshots leadership is making bold moves this PBA offseason. Days after resigning big men Russell Escoto and Joseph Eriobo, and adding guard Paolo Taha, the Pambansang Manok—now headed by LA Tenorio—have acquired Javi Gomez de Liano from the Terrafirma Dyip in exchange for Jerrick Ahanmisi and their second-round pick in the upcoming 2025 PBA Draft.
Gomez de Liano was the eighth pick of the PBA Season 47 Draft by Barangay Ginebra San Miguel but was then promptly traded to Terrafirma for the draft rights to Jeremiah Gray, that year’s second overall pick. The former UP Fighting Maroon struggled in his first season, averaging just 6.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.3 minutes of action a game. His next season, though, was a completely different story as Gomez de Liano elevated his game several notches higher, putting up 16.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on 36% shooting from the arc. This fantastic showing ultimately led to the Anyang Jung Kwan Jan Red Boosters prying him away from the PBA and into the KBL.
Ahanmisi, meanwhile, was taken by the Hotshots as the 10th pick of the PBA Season 46 Draft. The younger brother of Ginebra guard Maverick Ahanmisi, Jerrick has shown flashes of brilliance but couldn’t quite carve out a consistent role for Magnolia, routinely playing only in short bursts. Last year, with the introduction of the four-point line, Ahanmisi became a specialist as he turned into one of the PBA’s better marksmen from distance. Even then, his minutes remained limited.
Magnolia Shooting for the Top with Gomez de Liano
Last season’s trade for William Navarro was supposed to push the Hotshots toward true contender status, but the team flamed out just the same—again. Now, they have nothing to show for that surprise swap as Navarro himself has left the PBA for the KBL. Enter Gomez de Liano, who might be a better fit for Magnolia with his dead-eye shooting.
While Navarro gave Magnolia size, length, and athleticism, he was essentially a duplication of Zavier Lucero, who is, for all intents and purposes, the Hotshots’ next true hot shot. Gomez de Liano, with his superb shooting—he shot 41.7% from three in the KBL last season—complements Lucero better and gives Tenorio even more flexibility. At 6-foot-5, Gomez de Liano can play the 2 and 3 easily, and maybe even the 4 in super small-ball configurations.
Given Magnolia’s current lineup, don’t be surprised if Gomez de Liano plays the 2 with Jerom Lastimosa at the 1, Lucero at the 3, Sangalang at the 4, and Laput at the 5. Alternatively, Tenorio could go with Sangalang at center, Lucero at power forward, Rome dela Rosa at small forward, Gomez de Liano at shooting guard, and Lastimosa at point guard.
Terrafirma Trades Away Another Star
Before being poached by the KBL, Gomez de Liano was one of Terrafirma’s few bright spots and was, in fact, trending toward stardom as one of the league’s better young players—and his successful stint in Korea proved as much. So, what does the Dyip do? Well, trade him, of course!
To be fair, Terrafirma got in return a pretty good player in Jerrick Ahanmisi. Like Gomez de Liano, this former Adamson Eagle is a very good shooter from distance and was, in fact, among last season’s leaders in made fours. Unfortunately, he was playing behind Mark Barroca, Lastimosa, and later on Peter Alfaro, and couldn’t quite crack Magnolia’s guard rotation.
With Terrafirma, Ahanmisi figures to get his chance as he’ll be sharing guard duties mostly with Mark Nonoy after Stanley Pringle’s departure, and with Terrence Romeo looking like he’s on the way out as well. In his best season with the Hotshots, Ahanmisi averaged 6.8 points on 31% shooting from three in 15.3 minutes. There’s no reason he can’t add to those numbers with increased playing time with the Dyip.
Grading the Trade
Magnolia Hotshots: A+
Magnolia, as in the Navarro trade before, gets a very high mark with this one: an A+. That’s mostly because it got not just a Navarro replacement but someone who could turn out to be a better fit overall, as he brings a different skill set that is a premium in today’s pace-and-space style of hoops.
Terrafirma Dyip: C+
Terrafirma, meanwhile, gets a C+, though it could potentially be higher if Ahanmisi can somehow showcase his potential with an increased role. And, in the off-chance more talented players join the upcoming draft, there might be a chance—however slim—that the Dyip could snag another decent piece. In which case, that could get them an even higher grade moving forward.
