The trade sending Rey Suerte from the Blackwater Bossing to the Converge FiberXers for BJ Andrade is now official. This after the PBA approved of the one-for-one swap that was first brought to the league a couple of days ago.
With the trade a done deal already, let’s take a look at what the trade could mean for both teams.
What Converge Gets with Rey Suerte
Converge was tapped by many as a potential title contender in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with the additions of Jordan Heading and highly touted rookie Justine Baltazar. But after an unceremonious exit, the FiberXers are no doubt looking to upgrade for the season-ending Philippine Cup.
Enter Rey Suerte, a former CESAFI MVP and the second overall pick of the special Gilas Pilipinas Draft in 2019.
With Suerte, Converge gets another athletic shooter-slasher who can play the two or three spot. He is in some ways a play-alike of FiberXer wing Schonny Winston but with a leaner frame, a less polished handle, and a more inconsistent jumper.
Suerte’s numbers for Blackwater in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup—4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists—are underwhelming to say the least. But he also got to play just 17 minutes a game and did so with two ball-dominant guards in Sedrick Barefield and George King.
But when given a chance to play, Suerte can be a solid contributor. Just last season, the former UE Red Warrior averaged 10.5 points on 49.7% shooting from the field as he consistently played over 20 minutes a game. He also had a true shooting percentage of 59%, which is above average and indicative of an efficient scorer.
What Blackwater Gets with BJ Andrade
Blackwater regressed considerably in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup after a promising showing in the Governors’ Cup. Part of the reason is an unbalanced lineup heavy on guards but thin up front.
Naturally, the Bossing trade their 6-foot-3 wing to Converge for a 5-foot-10 guard. A former Ateneo Blue Eagle, Andrade is essentially a spot-up type of guard—a Jvee Casio without the handles, passing, and veteran smarts. In short, he’s a tweener at the guard spot as he isn’t good enough to play the point but isn’t skilled or tall enough to play off-guard.
That being said, he does give Blackwater another three-point shooter, one who shot 50% from downtown and made nearly a trey a game in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. But whether or not he can be more prolific and maintain his marksmanship remains to be seen.
Who Won the Trade?
Converge, at least on paper, won this trade by a mile. The FiberXers got someone who has proven he can score in double-digits on a consistent basis. Suerte is an additional weapon for a team stacked with talented players already. In contrast, Blackwater got a unidimensional bench player who doesn’t even fill a need. But in all fairness to Andrade, he is just 28 years old and may very well end up as a solid guard for the Bossing. At the moment, though, there’s seems little to suggest he’s ready to be a contributor.
