And that's where the problem lies. Trade values are intangible which is why there are statistics that helps in measuring the performance of a player. And it's the PBA Commissioner's office that assesses the player values. When they made their first trade decision, they valued a benched Jericho Cruz of ROS going to TNT as worthy of two first round picks - abominable it may sound. But we welcomed it, primarily because it gives the lower-marketed teams better leverage. From that decision alone, we had a glimpse of how the PBA determines the value of a player and how they respond accordingly to a trade transaction.
It became a mess when they applied double standards with their decisions. Jeff Chan, who was doing well with Phoenix, was worth one first round pick from Ginebra. It may appear to be a sensible decision but if you compare that with the Cruz transaction, you can't understand where they're coming from. Then the Pringle trade equivalent to 3 bench players. But then, you have Maliksi and Jose being shipped to Meralco for Canaleta, Tolomia and two second round picks, and suddenly, there's leverage again.
It's confusing because there's no defining standard set. If you actually look at it, Bobby Ray Parks is the equivalent of Stanley Pringle in terms of stats and value to a team. Hence, if you assess him based on how the Pringle trade was made, Trollano, Semerad and a second round pick would suffice. But no, TNT is probably wary about a possible disapproval which was why they threw in two first round picks instead of a second rounder.
A straight up Parks-Pogoy trade is acceptable actually...