‘It’s just business’: Calvin Abueva on being traded to NorthPort by Magnolia

The Magnolia Hotshots shocked the Philippine basketball community on Tuesday, May 28, by acquiring versatile forward William Navarro from the NorthPort Batang Pier in exchange for veteran Calvin Abueva, Jerrick Balanza, and a second-round draft pick.

Abueva ended his four-year stint with Magnolia, which began on a high note—he led the Hotshots to the 2021 Philippine Cup title and earned Best Player of the Conference honors. However, the 37-year-old has since become better known for his on- and off-court controversies than for his performances.

The veteran has already shown his worth to his new team, recording 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in his debut against the Phoenix Fuel Masters. He continued his strong form in his second game, finishing with 19 points and eight rebounds in NorthPort’s 113–108 win over the NLEX Road Warriors on Wednesday, June 11, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Abueva’s performances helped NorthPort end their eight-game losing streak.

Calvin Abueva earns praise from NorthPort assistant coach Rensy Bajar and teammate Cade Flores, saying he has been injecting positive energy to the Batang Pier. Abueva was traded to NorthPort by Magnolia more than two weeks ago. | via @kennedyzcaacbay pic.twitter.com/Wdi7jyIjoK

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) June 11, 2025

Abueva, for his part, is not too bothered by Magnolia’s decision to trade him, calling it part of “business.”

“That’s just business,” Abueva said in a short response about the trade.

However, he gave a longer reply when speaking about his game and performance for his new team, admitting he is still not up to full speed and suffered from leg cramps after playing 35 minutes—notably double the minutes he averaged per game during his time with Magnolia.

“That’s how I really play when I’m really inside the court. Because if you’re not in the game, you don’t get the minutes and you won’t be able to score that much. I suffered from cramps because I got surprised by the minutes I got. But this is just the start of the conference for me at NorthPort. I’ll just make it up and be better next conference,” he added.

NorthPort have had a dismal Philippine Cup campaign, winning just two and losing eight of their elimination-stage games. However, there is no doubt that Abueva’s arrival has energized the squad, and they will look to continue this positive momentum when they face the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday, June 15, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

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