Will Navarro is headed to the KBL to play with the Busan KCC Egis. The move comes after a brief stint with the Magnolia Hotshots following a blockbuster PBA trade that also involved Calvin Abueva.
Will Navarro is heading to Korea after all, signing a deal with KBL side Busan KCC Egis. The team officially announced the move on Tuesday, August 5.
At the center of a big mid-conference trade in the recently-concluded PBA Philippine Cup, Navarro ended up playing just five games for Magnolia. Navarro found himself with the Hotshots after a trade with NorthPort for Calvin Abueva.
[Related: Why did Magnolia trade Calvin Abueva for Will Navarro? Chito Victolero explains]
“We ask for lots of support and encouragement to William Navarro, who is making a new start at KCC Egis,” the team said.
Navarro’s move to Busan comes some three years after he was originally headed to the KBL with the Seoul Samsung Thunders.
However, it can be recalled that the former Ateneo forward ended up not going, as he had to honor his existing contract with Gilas Pilipinas and the PBA.
NorthPort had his PBA rights after the Batang Pier selected him second in the 2021 Gilas special draft.
In his Magnolia stint, Navarro and the Hotshots only went 1-4 overall and lost in the quarterfinals to the TNT Tropang 5G.
Navarro’s agency, the Titan Management Group, dubbed the move as Navarro “fulfilling the dream.”
“William Navarro signs with Busan KCC Egis of the KBL. This will be William’s Korea debut 3 years after initially planning to join the KBL,” they wrote on social media.
Navarro joins a Busan KCC Egis team that missed out on the playoffs last season with an 18-36 slate.