William Navarro leaves Magnolia for KCC Egis in Korea’s top basketball league

The Magnolia Hotshots have suffered a blow as former University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) standout William Navarro has ended his brief stint with the franchise by moving overseas.

Navarro has signed with Korean Basketball League (KBL) team KCC Egis, with the club announcing the move on its official social media channels on Tuesday, August 5, officially confirming his departure from Magnolia.

“We ask for lots of support and encouragement for William Navarro, who is making a new start at KCC Egis,” the team stated on social media.

IT’S OFFICIAL

KCC Egis announces William Navarro as its newest member heading into the upcoming season of the Korean Basketball League (KBL). | 📸: KCC Egis/Instagram via @MeloFuertesINQ pic.twitter.com/yzxaqZnQo1

— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) August 5, 2025

Magnolia had acquired Navarro from NorthPort Batang Pier in exchange for veteran Calvin Abueva, Jerrick Balanza, and a second-round draft pick. The forward played only half a conference with the franchise and struggled to make an impact in the five games he suited up for in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup, averaging 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. The team won only one of those five games and was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Grand Slam-seeking TNT Tropang Giga.

Before the trade, however, Navarro had been impressive for NorthPort, where many had tipped him to become one of the PBA’s rising star forwards. He averaged 20.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in the Philippine Cup for the Batang Pier.

This will not be the 28-year-old’s first stint with a KBL team. He had previously signed with the Seoul Samsung Thunders in 2022 but was barred from playing due to his commitments to the Philippine men’s national basketball team.

Navarro is the third PBA player in the past three months to take his talents overseas to either the KBL or Japan B. League, following Arvin Tolentino, who joined Seoul SK in the KBL, and Jamie Malonzo, who left Barangay Ginebra San Miguel for Japanese team Kyoto Hannaryz.

Magnolia, meanwhile, is aiming for a turnaround in the new PBA season, having appointed Gilas Pilipinas legend LA Tenorio as their new head coach.

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