MORE SOLID FUTURE AHEAD | NLEX to pick 1st in 2027 PBA Draft while on track for 2026 title

While still chasing a title, NLEX already got good news that it will pick first in the PBA Draft. PBA Images (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA—NLEX, the number one team in the 2026 PBA Governors' Cup group stages, will be team number one too in the 2027 PBA Draft.

The Road Warriors will get the honor of selecting first in the Jan. 17 proceedings as the preliminary round of the season-ending conference in the league's landmark 50th season draws to a close.

NLEX holds the rights to Blackwater's supposed first-round pick in the draft following a 2024 three-team trade that sent Brandon Rosser to TNT.

The Bossing finished 11th overall after the group stages with a 3-7 record, adding 3.3 draft points to their total, which now stands at 11.3, higher than the 10.5 points the Titan Ultra Giant Risers and Terrafirma Dyip got all season long.

This means by default, Blackwater will have the first pick, but because of the Rosser trade, NLEX will have the right to select first.

This also implies that the Road Warriors could have their future secured while still contending for a title in the ongoing conference.

The Bossing own the Tropang 5G's first-round pick as another result of the Rosser trade, but the current projection is that the said draft choice will come late in the round.

Meanwhile, because Terrafirma owns the head-to-head season tiebreaker against Titan Ultra, the Giant Risers will pick second in the draft.

As a result, the Dyip are supposed to pick third in the draft, but they sent their first-rounder to Barangay Ginebra as part of last year's trade sending Maverick Ahanmisi and Aljon Mariano to Terrafirma.

On the other hand, Meralco's final draft order will depend on how the ongoing quarterfinals go.

The Bolts, the other team eliminated from the PBA Governors' Cup this early, have a total of 5.8 draft points, but with some teams just closely behind them right now, they may have to wait to see their final order.

The only sure thing is that Phoenix, which now has 6.4 points pending the outcome of its campaign this conference, will select ahead of Meralco in the draft.

The draft points are based on the sum of 40 percent of their ranking points in the Philippine Cup and 30 percent each in the Commissioner's and Governors' Cups.