The PBA Governors’ Cup is still weeks away—and the import carousel is already spinning, with the Blackwater Bossing and the Magnolia Hotshots both locking in their reinforcements for the season-ending conference. Interestingly, the two franchises are bringing in imports fresh off impressive stints in the Indonesia Basketball League (IBL)—Kentrell Barkley and Kenyon Josep “KJ” Buffen.
Kentrell Barkley Comes With Impressive Credentials
Barkley, a 29-year-old, 6-foot-5 forward who has been one of the most decorated imports in Asian basketball over the last several years. Coach Pat Aquino confirmed the signing, saying Barkley is expected to arrive in the country by next week—giving him at least three weeks to get acclimated before the July 10 opening of the tournament.
Barkley comes with a résumé that demands respect. A product of East Carolina, he went undrafted in the NBA and spent one season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League before taking his game overseas. He has since played in Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia—and he has won wherever he has gone. He claimed the Best Foreign Player of the Year award in Taiwan’s Super Basketball League in 2020 and a championship with Taiwan Beer. In 2023, he swept the season MVP and Finals MVP awards in the Vietnam Basketball Association while leading the Saigon Heat to the title. Most recently with Kesatria Bengawan Solo in the IBL, Barkley was named league MVP and a Mythical Team selection in 2024, and led the league in rebounding this year.
He arrives at Blackwater listed just a shade under the 6-foot-6 height ceiling for PBA imports. He fits.
KJ Buffen Looks Just as Promising
Magnolia, meanwhile, has gone for youth and size with Kenyon Josep “KJ” Buffen—a 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward who is expected to join the Hotshots in practice soon. The listed height might pose a complication, though it is usually a common practice to add an extra inch or two to a player’s listed height.
At 26, Buffen brings a different profile: Division I NCAA experience across 165 games at Ole Miss and UAB, where he averaged a combined 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, followed by stints in Finland and New Zealand before landing in the IBL with Rans PIK. There, he averaged 21.5 points and 11.3 rebounds in the 2025–26 season—numbers that certainly caught Magnolia’s attention.
Buffen, at least when compared side-by-side with Barkley, has a thinner résumé. Then again, his pedigree looks undeniable, and his stint in the IBL hints at a potential game-changer who could be exactly the player the Hotshots need to further level up in the PBA’s season-ending tournament.
Two imports. Two IBL products. The Governors’ Cup cast of imports is starting to take shape, with Buffen and Barkley joining returnees DeQuan Jones of the NLEX Road Warriors and Aaron Fuller of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel resident import Justin Brownlee.
