Kelly Nabong (left) and Russel Escoto (right) will be switching teams after a trade was approved on Friday. | photos from PBA Images
Cebu City, Philippines–San Miguel traded beleaguered center Kelly Nabong to NorthPort in exchange for Russel Escoto.
According to a report from PBA’s website, pba.ph, the Office of the Commissioner approved the one-on-one swap on Friday, January 10, 2020.
Nabong was acquired by the Beermen from GlobalPort in 2018. The 6-foot-6 bruiser was averaging 4.1 points and 4.0 rebounds for SMB in the season-ending conference Governors’ Cup.
He was suspended by the team indefinitely after figuring in a scuffle during a team practice late last year. That incident also included import Dez Wells and teammates Arwind Santos and Ronald Tubid.
The pba.ph report also said this will be Nabong’s third stint with the GlobalPort franchise.
Escoto had a short stint with the Batang Pier, who acquired the 27-year-old center from Columbian just last August.
The former Far Eastern University standout averaged 3.7 points on a 47-percent shooting from deep, on top of 2.4 boards in his stint with NorthPort.