Veteran big man Bryan Faundo has been added to the Blackwater-Meralco trade which the PBA Commissioner’s Office officially approved on Thursday.
The 6-foot-6 Faundo, who has been with the Bolts since 2015, was added to the mix to formally consummate the previous one-on-one deal involving Mac Belo and Baser Amer.
Meralco coach Norman Black believes the trade is for the good of both franchises.
"We believe this trade is beneficial to both teams, and will provide both players competitive environments to showcase their talent," said Black, who is currently with the Gilas Pilipinas training pool at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
"As an organization, we remain committed to fair and exciting competition."
The Bossing and Bolts agreed to the one-on-one trade on Tuesday and was sent for approval to the five-man trade committee under the Commissioner's Office.
The trade had to be tweaked a little bit in order to be approved, prompting Meralco to add Faundo, 36, as part of the deal.
Belo, 27, was Blackwater's top pick during the 2016 special draft, but struggled with injuries during his four-year stay with the franchise. He averaged 11.3 points, 5.1 points, and 1.9 assists in 101 games played with the Bossing.
The 28-year-old Amer, was also a first round pick during the 2015 draft (no. 7 overall) by Meralco. In five seasons with the team, the 6-foot guard normed 10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 196 games.
Faundo meanwhile, was tapped by Meralco from the free agent list following his stint with Blackwater during the team's rookie season. The former Letran standout, who was left undrafted in 2009, played 141 games and averaged 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in five years with the Bolts.