A major coaching change is brewing at NLEX following its heartbreaking finish in the recent Commissioner’s Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

According to a reliable DAILY TRIBUNE source, Road Warriors Jong Uichico already talked to the players during their practice at the Epsilon Chi Center on Thursday, informing them to be ready just in case somebody joins the coaching staff next week.

He didn’t name any names but floated the idea that the incoming coach will be a big help as he has significant experience in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Obviously, Uichico was referring to Jimmy Alapag — the Gilas Pilipinas legend who spent the past three years serving as one of the assistant coaches at the Sacramento Kings.

The source stressed that Alapag will be flying in on Sunday and will drop by the NLEX practice on Monday before being formally introduced in a press conference on Tuesday.

It, however, isn’t clear if he will serve as head coach or if he will be an active consultant, similar to the set up at Meralco, where Serbian coach Nenad Vucevic is helping mentor Luigi Trillo in mapping out the plays.

Reports have it that Uichico’s contract with NLEX had already expired.

“Somebody might join the coaching staff next week so you have to be ready,” the source, a team insider, quoted Uichico as saying in a telephone conversation.

“He has an NBA experience so he will be a be a big help to us. In the meantime, just do what you’re doing.”

The Road Warriors suffered a heartbreaking finish in the Commissioner’s Cup.

With an all-around import in Cady Lalanne as import, NLEX emerged as the top team in the double-round eliminations with 12 wins and two losses — a 97-103 setback to TNT Tropang 5G and a 94-98 meltdown to San Miguel Beer.

But the Road Warriors couldn’t get the job done.

Despite having a twice-to-beat advantage, they dropped a pair of close games to the Tropang 5G in the quarterfinals — 93-96 and 112-118 — to bomb out of contention. The Tropang 5G, despite losing super import Bol Bol in the semifinals against Meralco, went on to push Barangay Ginebra to the limit before yielding the crown in seven games.

With Alapag coming over, the level of maturity of the Road Warriors, especially at the endgame, will surely increase. After all, the 48-year-old Filipino-American displayed nerves of steel during his 13-year playing career for TNT and Meralco and led Gilas Pilipinas to an emotional silver-medal finish in the FIBA Asia Men’s Championship in 2013 that paved the way for its return to the World Championships after 36 years.

After a stellar playing career that gave him six PBA crowns, Alapag served as assistant coach of Gilas Pilipinas, Meralco, and San Miguel before flying back to California to chase an NBA career.

He became the assistant coach of the Stockton Kings in the NBA G League before serving as player development coach of the Sacramento Kings from 2023 to 2026 under Mike Brown and Doug Christie.

He parted ways with the Kings last April, making him very much available to return to the country for another coaching role.

“His arrival is already final, but they have yet to decide on what will be his coaching,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity pending the Road Warriors’ official announcement.

“But whether he will be a head coach or an active consultant doesn’t matter. The important thing is that he’ll be back to help NLEX win its first PBA title.”