Philippine PBA Trades, Releases, Sign-ups, Rumours (vol. III)

[durden_tyler]

Hope air21 does not forget that they need good guards to be competitive...frontcourt looks ok but backcourt is ?????...

In fairness to Air 21 it's more difficult to get serviceable-to-good bigs than acquiring competitive guards... It's a good reloading strategy and we don't expect them to contend immediately (a respectable .500 record i feel would be a good achievement for this team)

[reamily]

In fairness to Air 21 it's more difficult to get serviceable-to-good bigs than acquiring competitive guards... It's a good reloading strategy and we don't expect them to contend immediately (a respectable .500 record i feel would be a good achievement for this team)

I think the bosses will not let taht happen.. Bad for their business

[durden_tyler]

I think the bosses will not let taht happen.. Bad for their business

You are alluding to the fact that they might sell their pick. True if they still own it-- but remember the 2013 1st rounder for A21 most likely is part of the package already that net them Baclao, Reyes, etc-- this means there's no more point for tanking since they business already profited

[Jay P. Mercado]

They'll probably get there soon. They still have Wynne Arboleda, and NO ONE TAKES ARBO's MINUTES AWAY at Air 21.

Kidding aside, Yeng Guiao, during his short stint with Burger King, did limit Wynne's minutes considerably. It wasn't a popular decision to do but Guiao will always have his ways.

DT's correct - getting quality guards is much, much easier to do compared to getting the same quality of frontliners. Their frontline is definitely a considerable upgrade from last season - I was hoping they'd lure Dennis Espino out of retirement to provide leadership and stability to this erstwhile young team. But they're ok, a starting unit of Sena, Baclao, Omolon, Canaleta and Arboleda would create difficulty finding light in the sky. They will never be as good as a TNT frontline of Peek, Williams, De Ocampo and Dillinger but they will compete. A closer look at free agency can do the trick for them - just a matter of finding the right players to bring to the lineup. Air 21's dilemma though is that most free agents are practicing with the SMC and MPIC teams brought about by fatter paychecks being offered. Smaller teams will simply have to contend with crumbs left behind by these two giant conglomerates.

[reamily]

You are alluding to the fact that they might sell their pick. True if they still own it-- but remember the 2013 1st rounder for A21 most likely is part of the package already that net them Baclao, Reyes, etc-- this means there's no more point for tanking since they business already profited

Hopefully SMC does not make downpayment scheme in this transactions

[durden_tyler]

Hopefully SMC does not make downpayment scheme in this transactions

True true. The under-the-table deal under the table.

[unstopaball12]

Air 21 should have gotten Yeo instead of Reyes from Petron

and if Petron drafts Chris Tiu your looking at

PG: Cabagnot/miranda/lanete
SG: Lutz/tiu/hontiveros/yeo

with lassiter, santos and maybe washington still in the wings, yeo will not receive playing time with petron

[durden_tyler]

PBA board members want assurance GlobalPort will not trade marquee players

Mikee Romero’s GlobalPort squad is expected to become the PBA’s 10th member when the league’s Board of Governors meet on Friday.

But one member of the board wants to propose conditions to ensure that the squad, which will take over the Powerade Tigers, will not trade away its marquee players.

“Kailangan wala na munang galawan ng players for a season,” said the board member, who requested anonymity. “In that case, hindi magkakaroon ng duda yung publiko pati na rin yung ibang teams. They will also show that they’re here to compete and strengthen the team.”

Before the Tigers sold the franchise to GlobalPort, they traded away key players Marcio Lassiter and Doug Kramer, despite making a Cinderella run to the Philippine Cup finals.

Former Powerade stars Gary David and JVee Casio are expected to be the top guns for GlobalPort.

Newly-installed PBA vice-chairman Mon Segismundo and Joaqui Trillo, who represent Meralco and Alaska on the PBA board, respectively, said the idea should be given consideration.

“Yes, that’s a good suggestion, but I’m not against trading players,” Segismundo told InterAKTV in a telephone interview. “If you trade marquee players, you don’t trade them for lemons. But I’m sure the commissioner knows what he’s doing and he’s there to make sure that whatever trade made should be balance for all teams involved.”

Trillo said the board should scrutinize Romero’s application as a 10th member.

“Teams in the PBA should compete and continue to strengthen their squads. I’m out to support that idea of our fellow governor to set a condition on Mikee’s group to show good faith in their participation,” said Trillo.

A league source told InterAKTV earlier that GlobalPort’s entry into the PBA is good as done, with Romero securing the seven votes needed to approve the transfer.

[Big Ticket]

Joey Villar @joey55villar
Make way for new PBA team owner Mikee Romero! The PBA has just accepted Sultan 900 as the league's newest member in place of Powerade!

Waylon Galvez @batangBOYAA
APRUB! PBA Board of Govs accepts Sultan 900 Capital Inc. as its new member team (after purchasing Powerade).

[Jay P. Mercado]

Air 21 should have gotten Yeo instead of Reyes from Petron

and if Petron drafts Chris Tiu your looking at

PG: Cabagnot/miranda/lanete
SG: Lutz/tiu/hontiveros/yeo

with lassiter, santos and maybe washington still in the wings, yeo will not receive playing time with petron

Joseph Yeo is an integral part of the SMC Group, that, while he may not be able to get his deserved minutes with Petron, can find his way playing for other SMC teams later on...

[TrueBluePinoy]

GlobalPort officially accepted as newest member of the PBA
Rey Joble, InterAKTV · Friday, August 17, 2012 · 3:01 pm

globalport-logo.jpg

As expected, GlobalPort, owned by Mikee Romero’s holding company Sultan 900 Capital, Inc., has been unanimously accepted as the 10th member of the PBA.

PBA commissioner Chito Salud made the announcement along with Romero and PBA chairman Robert Non.

“Upon careful evaluation, the board has unanimously, warmly and unitedly accepted the application of Sultan 900 as the newest member of the PBA via the acquisition of the franchise held by Coca-Cola,” said Salud.

Romero said it was always his dream to be in the PBA.

“It’s a fulfillment of a childhood dream. I once dreamed of playing in the PBA, but I ended up owning a franchise,” said Romero. “When they let me entered the PBA board meeting, I finally realized that my dream of making it to the PBA has come true.”

Smooth sailing

Romero’s group didn’t encounter any objection to its entry into the PBA as a new member.

Unlike another applicant Phoenix Fuel, GlobalPort has no conflict with any of the other nine teams in the league, a fact that led to a fast approval.

“It’s a question of competition, we named San Miguel Petron when Phoenix was applying to become a new member in the PBA,” said Non.

Two years ago, Phoenix and Barako Bull agreed on a sale for the franchise. But the sale did not gain approval by the PBA board, and Barako Bull eventually sold the team to the Lina Group of Companies.

A board member who requested anonymity told InterAKTV that Romero’s track record in sports is more than enough to convince the board of his participation in the PBA.

“Track record, reputation and financials. These are the qualities of Mikee Romero and these were enough to convince us of his participation,” said the board member.

[reamily]

Joseph Yeo is an integral part of the SMC Group, that, while he may not be able to get his deserved minutes with Petron, can find his way playing for other SMC teams later on...

He is a priority of the SMC group?

[Jordan Bruiseter]

He is a priority of the SMC group?

I shared several months back, that Yeo is almost untouchable in SMC as his family has close business and personal ties to RSA.

Similar to how it is between TY Tang's family and Terry Que/Raymond Yu.

In a way also, similar to the ties of Lou Gatumbato to the Lina Group (try to Google this: Gatumbato Bangko Sentral, and you'll get an idea).

[bognut]

Apart from next year’s pick, the Express will also give up its second round pick in 2015. The team will also give up Elmer Espiritu, Paolo Hubalde, Ogie Menor, Magi Sison, and Eric Salamat in the deal.

The source didn’t say which teams the picks or the players would end up with.

The deal is shaping up to be a blockbuster four-way deal among Air 21, Petron, Ginebra, and Barako Bull.

If Menor lands in Ginebra, will Caidic kill him?

[alfrancis]

Word of caution here though - not everything's final yet. The deal that would send Baclao et al to Air 21 has been agreed upon in principle but everything remains fluid so far as there might be some last minute changes. One thing though - Air 21 seems happy with the players going to their side as they now have 4 big men at 6'4 and above who can play. They probably would lose the following: first round pick next season, Paolo Hubalde, Ren Ren Ritualo, Elmer Espiritu and Ogie Menor. If that's the case, Air 21's lineup would probably look this way:

C - Reyes, Sena, Sison, Faundo
PF - Baclao, Isip, Omolon
SF - Canaleta, Najorda
SG - Aquino, Bagatsing
PG - Arboleda, Salamat, Escobal

They would still need a prolific shooting guard to help out Canaleta, who's expected to become the team's focal point in offense. Coach Franz may have no choice but to make this team a defensive-oriented unit trying to keep the scores as low as possible to somehow give themselves a chance. They don't have any explosive scorer in the lineup, with the probable exception of Canaleta, but they do have enough arsenal to make this a defensively potent team anchored on Baclao and Arboleda.

A much better lineup. Still they should not give up their 1st round pick next year because they might end up with the No.1 pick. Slaughter is a franchise player. Think...think