PBA: Barako Bull sends Pena to Petron for Sharma, Cruz

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud approved on Tuesday a trade that sends Barako Bull Energy center Dorian Peña to the Petron Blaze Boosters for Carlos Sharma and Celino Cruz, the league office confirmed. Peña had a strong run with the Energy during the still on-going Commissioner's Cup, starting in 11 of the team's 17 games, with averages of 16.59 minutes, 2.94 points and 5.35 rebounds. The Energy, who took a 2-1 lead on the reigning Commissioner's Cup champs Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters, before falling in the semifinals, often used the Filipino-American Peña against the opposing side's import, due to his hefty size. For Petron, it is the team's second off-season deal, coming on the heels of the Blaze Boosters finally acquiring swingman Marcio Lassiter. In exchange for Peña, Petron sent out Carlos Sharma, who totaled just four minutes in one game in the current conference, and Celino Cruz, who came along with Lassiter from the Powerade Tigers in the trade. Cruz normed 0.89 points and 1.22 rebounds over eight minutes in nine appearances with the Tigers. Ironically, the deal serves as a homecoming for all of the players involved. Peña was dealt by Petron, then know as the San Miguel Beermen, along with Dondon Hontiveros, Paul Artadi and Danny Seigle in exchange for Nonoy Baclao, Rey Guevarra and Rabeh Al-Hussaini to the then known Air21 Express (now Barako Bull). Sharma on the other hand, put up his best numbers with Red Bull Barako, under mentor Yeng Guiao. Cruz also played several years for Red Bull, with him and Sharma appearing on the same roster for several conferences. In other trade news, the league also disallowed another deal involving the Barako Bull Energy, one that would have sent Jondan Salvador to Powerade, in exchange for Doug Kramer. That proposal was returned to the teams, leaving the door open for a possible revision.   Once a stand-out power forward, Salvador appeared in just 10 games this season for the Energy, norming 4.1 points and 2.7 boards in 13.8 minutes. Kramer, on the other hand, was a revelation for the Tigers in the All-Filipino Cup, but saw his numbers decline this past conference to 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds over 16.4 minutes. — JVP, GMA News