The Mikey Williams trade has delivered its first concrete return for Converge: a first-ever PBA semifinals appearance. The FiberXers closed out Rain or Shine in Game 4 of their best-of-five quarterfinal series, 120-109, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Friday night.
Williams knocked down back-to-back triples with 2:42 remaining to seal the closeout. Head coach Delta Pineda said the franchise holds no regrets over the deal that brought him to the team.
The Mikey Williams trade, revisited
Converge acquired Williams' rights on June 2, 2025, sending Jordan Heading to the Tropang 5G in a one-for-one swap. At the time, Williams was still away from the league amid a lengthy contractual dispute with the flagship MVP franchise, and the move drew mixed reactions from fans.
The FiberXers waited before securing his commitment, eventually signing him to a one-year deal last February and ending his years-long absence. Heading, a former Gilas Pilipinas guard, became a key cog under coach Chot Reyes and helped TNT reach the Philippine Cup Finals in his first conference, which led some observers to call TNT the winner of the trade.
Williams closes out Rain or Shine
Williams' late threes in Game 4 recalled his glory days with TNT and sent Rain or Shine into a long offseason. The closer role first appeared in Game 2 last October 30, when he hit a dagger triple over Caelan Tiongson's outstretched arms with 35.2 seconds left in a 130-125 win that levelled the series at 1-1.
Pineda said the adjustment came within consultant Djordje Jovicic's scheme, and that Williams' playoff experience is now a decisive factor. "We have Mikey here. I know Mikey can help the team; Mikey can contribute to the team. And 'yung experience ni Mikey, malaking factor especially in this quarterfinals, this coming semifinals," he said.
What comes next for Converge
Converge moves on to face NLEX in the semifinals, where the FiberXers will test whether their late-game reliance on Williams holds against a deeper opponent. Pineda described the trade as an organisational call rather than a coaching one.
"Wala po tayong pinagsisihan doon. Ano po 'yun, it's a good decision. It's a team decision, it's the owners' decision, it's a good decision. And now it shows 'yung experience ni Mikey in this crucial moment, nai-deliver po," he said.
Analysis: weighing both sides of the deal
This section is analysis, not reported fact. The case for TNT rests on speed: Heading contributed immediately to a Philippine Cup Finals run while Williams was still unsigned. The case for Converge rests on timing and role: the FiberXers absorbed months of uncertainty, then received a closer who produced in the games that decided their season.
A single semifinal berth does not settle a trade on its own, and Converge's front office has not claimed otherwise. What the run does establish is that the deal's return is now measurable rather than theoretical, while TNT's side remains anchored in an earlier conference.
The original report was published by tiebreakertimes.com.ph.
