Heading heads for Converge

Converge acquired the services of Jordan Heading in a trade with Terrafirma ahead of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.

The league gave its greenlight on the three-for-one trade which shipped Aljun Melecio, Keith Zaldivar, and a future first-round pick to the Dyip in exchange for the 28-year-old shooter on Tuesday.

Heading was picked first by Terrafirma in the special Gilas Pilipinas round in the 2021 PBA Draft.

However, Heading did not see action for the Dyip and took his act abroad with stints in Taiwan with the Taichung Suns, Nagasaki Velca in the Japan B. League and the West Adelaide Bearcats in Australia.

Heading also played a major role in helping the Charles Tiu-mentored Strong Group Pilipinas capture the William Jones Cup crown in unbeaten fashion last July.

His FiberXers transfer will also serve as a reunion with Tiu, who is the deputy to Converge interim coach Franco Atienza.

“Very excited. I expect him to give us another threat offensively and a very experienced player who fits to what we want to do as a team,” Tiu told DAILY TRIBUNE.

With Heading under its wing, Converge is expected to make another huge splash after an impressive run in the Governors’ Cup.

Following a three-win Season 48 and a coaching shakeup, the FiberXers made it to the playoffs of the season-opening conference.

They eventually bowed to San Miguel Beer in the best-of-five quarterfinals but not after giving the title favorites fits in the series that went the full distance.

Heading, together with 2024 No. 1 overall pick Justine Baltazar, who is set to join the squad after his stint with Pampanga in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, will beef up Converge’s young lineup that already has rising stars Alec Stockton, Justin Arana and Schonny Winston.