Gilas forward William Navarro is heading to the Korean Basketball League to play for the Seoul Samsung.
The 6-foot-6 former Ateneo standout is the third Filipino to sign with a team from the KBL. The first were Gilas guards SJ Belangel and RJ Abarrientos.
The KBL team announced the development on Thursday morning.
Navarro is part of the 2021 PBA Gilas Draft where he was the second pick overall by NorthPort right after Jordan Heading, who was selected by Terrafirma, before deciding to head over to Taiwan.
Navarro has been an active member for Gilas over the last few years, playing for the national team in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, and the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Although he has posted meager numbers, he’s one of the team’s vital cogs in the frontcourt, especially now with naturalized player Ange Kouame nursing a knee injury.
Navarro will be joining a Seoul Samsung team that struggled to get wins last season, finishing with a 9-45 slate.