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

[Rodbi]

I think the reason there is no Commissioner's Cup is the Asian Games.
Jan 22, 2023 Govs Cup
Feb 2023 -6th Window FIBA Qualifier
Mar 2023- EASL Champions Cup
April 2023 - PBA Govs Cup Playoffs
May 2023 -SEA Games
Jun-Jul, 2023 -FIBA WC Preparation (NO PBA)
Aug 2023 - FIBA WC
September-Oct 2023 - Asian Games

Most likely, last week of November be the start of PBA AFC.

I hope this does not equate to a November 2023-to-September 2024 season calendar. PBA always needs around 10 months to finish their usual season calendar, excluding FIBA breaks.

[IPC]

I hope this does not equate to a November 2023-to-September 2024 season calendar. PBA always needs around 10 months to finish their usual season calendar, excluding FIBA breaks.

And I hope this starts a two-conference format on a permanent basis. One wherein one import is allowed, and another wherein two imports are allowed, with a combined height limit of 13'8".

But if there's no Commissioner's Cup, then the season might end in May or June 2024.

[IPC]

If theres someone that can break that rule its JB, feel like PBA if demanded by fans enough will cave in since allowing naturalized players as well as College imports to play might be tempting enough to mitigate the talent drain of players going overseas

Yeah. NPs and college imports as full-time players can solve problems of many teams. Just have them take up a Fil-foreign spot. They provide needs like size up front and rim protection most especially. Not every team has the size in the frontline that Ginebra and SMB have.

[CoJ]

https://tiebreakertimes.com.ph/tbt/tnt-set-to-get-justin-chua-through-three-team-trade-with-phoenix-nlex/259974

Justin Chua heads to TNT via a three way trade. TNT reloads at the expense of NLEX.

Justin Chua and Paul Varilla are headed to TNT, Jjay Alejandro and Raul Soyud are set to join Phoenix, while Sean Anthony and Jake Pascual are going to NLEX

[Supremo30]

I hope this does not equate to a November 2023-to-September 2024 season calendar. PBA always needs around 10 months to finish their usual season calendar, excluding FIBA breaks.

I think they can't do the 10-month-long season, if we finish the best Asian team this coming WC, we will qualify for the Olympics. If not we can still go to FIBA OQT next year. Unless they opt out and ask SBP to use the other players, not from the PBA.

[Rodbi]

I think they can't do the 10-month-long season, if we finish the best Asian team this coming WC, we will qualify for the Olympics. If not we can still go to FIBA OQT next year. Unless they opt out and ask SBP to use the other players, not from the PBA.

Good point, I was thinking of this, too. Though I doubt that the PBA thinks of it as a good problem for them to have, I mean the prospect of qualifying for the Olympics and its potential to throw the PBA calendar into disarray once more, with all the prep period associated with both qualification routes. But we shall see this coming August, I hope PBA is prepared for what's beyond the 2023 WC.

[hmbopbaduwap]

An "Active Consultant" and a "Senior Consultant" for TNT

https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/c...230117-fbfirst

[CoJ]

An "Active Consultant" and a "Senior Consultant" for TNT

https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/c...230117-fbfirst

great more drama for tnt hahaha,

[jasper222]

Looks like good news on the horizon for the PBA.

Beyer hopes for Dragons return in PBA next season

"It's wonderful to be a guest team in the PBA and be going to Game 7," Beyer, beaming with pride, told The Manila Times.

The American executive said EASL's social media channels are also churning out huge numbers since the games in the PBA Finals are also seen in Mainland China, which has a population of over 1.4 billion people, the biggest in the world.

"Very strong (online audience). Over 250,000 per game on EASL social media channels. I expect a major streaming deal for PBA if Bay Area Dragons remain part of PBA in future conference action," shared Beyer.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/01/14/sports/beyer-hopes-for-dragons-return-in-pba-next-season/1874251

PBA still open for Bay Area return next season

League commissioner Willy Marcial is keeping the doors open for Bay Area to possibly see action in the 2023-24 PBA season following the conclusion of the Commissioner's Cup, which Barangay Ginebra won via a 4-3 Finals series conquest Sunday night.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/01/16/sports/pba-still-open-for-bay-area-return-next-season/1874501

Looks like the feeling is mutual ika nga. Also, 250k on Chinese streaming is very impressive. I never imagined that the PBA would get its viewership from overseas, much less China.

[CoJ]

Looks like good news on the horizon for the PBA.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/01/14/sports/beyer-hopes-for-dragons-return-in-pba-next-season/1874251

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/01/16/sports/pba-still-open-for-bay-area-return-next-season/1874501

Looks like the feeling is mutual ika nga. Also, 250k on Chinese streaming is very impressive. I never imagined that the PBA would get its viewership from overseas, much less China.

Was able to read that the PBA intends to enter the Chinese market, this was during 2018 when the NBA and China had a falling out due to Daryl Morey's tweets regarding Hong Kong. Would love to see a home-away series between BAD and BGSM in the near future!

[Giannis34GOD]

Was able to read that the PBA intends to enter the Chinese market, this was during 2018 when the NBA and China had a falling out due to Daryl Morey's tweets regarding Hong Kong. Would love to see a home-away series between BAD and BGSM in the near future!

Then Ginebra should qualify first in EASL to realize that dream match...

[Giannis34GOD]

I think they can't do the 10-month-long season, if we finish the best Asian team this coming WC, we will qualify for the Olympics. If not we can still go to FIBA OQT next year. Unless they opt out and ask SBP to use the other players, not from the PBA.

Remember, In Nov 2023 also have 2025 FIBA Asia cup qualifiers too.... That's why your league has to adjust to FIBA schedule....

[Rodbi]

That was a blessing in disguise for his development. Cabagnot got traded. Romeo then Ross got injured. So CJ had to alternate with Enciso for the big PG minutes. However, SMB does not have a tall wing defender. Lassiter was their best wing defender but has lost a step or two on defense. CJ is sometimes the designated wing defender, taking away from his PG minutes. I commend Leo for giving CJ, PG minutes. But it is also his shortsightedness that has left SMB without a tall wing defender.

Is it Austria or SMC management that is responsible for not bringing in tall wing defenders?

Can't be SMC and Long Hair. Look at BGK, they brought in tall wings in Gray and Malonzo. I suspect it's Jurassic Kots Leo, the same guy who keeps JMF slow and fat.

I think SMB should just trade for Ferrer now just to fill the glaring gap in the wings (he's a 3-and-D guy, too). I believe it's not going to take that much to bring him in as Ferrer no longer has high upside in him, though he can still be serviceable for a team in need of a full-time 3.

[hmbopbaduwap]

https://www.espn.ph/basketball/pba/s...ial-future-pba

After successful Commissioner's Cup run, Bay Area Dragons eye potential future in the PBA

After the Bay Area Dragons' successful run in the recently concluded Commissioner's Cup, East Asia Super League CEO Matt Beyer said the experience benefited both leagues and opened opportunities.

"We're gonna sit down with the PBA and talk about the future for that and how we continue to work on this and have the Dragons play in the PBA," Beyer told ESPN in an exclusive interview. "But I think the intention whether it be from Commissioner Willie (Marcial) or Chairman Ricky Vargas or other people within the PBA league office and among the teams is that it's been an exciting season and there's been value added because of the Dragons."

Beyer said there was heightened interest in the Dragons, particularly in the Commissioner's Cup finals, from viewers in China and the region.

"Next season, we're ready to help the PBA get a major rights deal in the market," Beyer said. "I think if the Bay Area Dragons continue to play in the Commissioner's Cup or in the PBA in whatever fashion in the future that there's going to be a Chinese rights holder that's going to want to come to the table to spend major money on this.


"If we're looking at just on EASL's social media accounts alone, I think we put it on three social media accounts with a combined quarter of a million, that's pretty good. That's just EASL. If you think about it, you put a big Chinese platform behind this you could be looking at 5 to 10 million fans per game in the future. And that's a very conservative estimate. On EASL games previously we've had over 22 million fans watching our games over all territories but at least 10 to 15 million from China alone on some of those games."

There is also talk about bringing some PBA games to the Dragons' backyard, according to Beyer.

"We're gonna be looking at the possibility of integrating games to the greater bay area of China, which would be Hong Kong and Macau, and to be able to see PBA action in these places as well where there can be multi-geography presence of these PBA games. That's sort of a broad concept at this point, but I think it's something that, if the finances work out and the scheduling works out, that would be very exciting."

While the Dragons fell short of the championship, falling to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in lopsided fashion in Game 7, Beyer was happy with their overall performance.

"I think the team did excellently for a team that's together for the first season, new league, and the whole roster has been built from nothing," Beyer said. "You're playing arguably the best team in the PBA with a sizeable portion of the national team players, where every game is a road game, I thought they performed great. And I'm very proud of them."

However, Beyer admits that the team may have been overwhelmed by the Game 7 atmosphere in front of 55,000 fans.

"That raucous fan base in an arena like that and maybe there's 2% of the fan base that's there to support you and then the rest are for the other team, I think that's practice for the players and to go through that adversity, to have been through that will make them a lot stronger."

The Dragons have been in Manila since August, and will continue to train here for the next few weeks before leaving for Japan for the EASL Champions Week in early March. After that, the team may look at tweaking its lineup and to start preparing for the EASL's home-and-away tournament that's slated to kick off on Oct. 11.

Beyer believes the conditions are ripe for the EASL and the Dragons to reach greater heights in 2023.

"I'm just extremely grateful for the people in the Philippines, the PBA, the media for giving us a chance and welcoming us and allowing us to do this and opening their hearts to us," Beyer said. "I really look forward to what lies in the future and I think we're gonna do even bigger and more exciting things as we go forward."

[Rodbi]

https://www.espn.ph/basketball/pba/s...ial-future-pba

After successful Commissioner's Cup run, Bay Area Dragons eye potential future in the PBA

After the Bay Area Dragons' successful run in the recently concluded Commissioner's Cup, East Asia Super League CEO Matt Beyer said the experience benefited both leagues and opened opportunities.

"We're gonna sit down with the PBA and talk about the future for that and how we continue to work on this and have the Dragons play in the PBA," Beyer told ESPN in an exclusive interview. "But I think the intention whether it be from Commissioner Willie (Marcial) or Chairman Ricky Vargas or other people within the PBA league office and among the teams is that it's been an exciting season and there's been value added because of the Dragons."

Beyer said there was heightened interest in the Dragons, particularly in the Commissioner's Cup finals, from viewers in China and the region.

"Next season, we're ready to help the PBA get a major rights deal in the market," Beyer said. "I think if the Bay Area Dragons continue to play in the Commissioner's Cup or in the PBA in whatever fashion in the future that there's going to be a Chinese rights holder that's going to want to come to the table to spend major money on this.


"If we're looking at just on EASL's social media accounts alone, I think we put it on three social media accounts with a combined quarter of a million, that's pretty good. That's just EASL. If you think about it, you put a big Chinese platform behind this you could be looking at 5 to 10 million fans per game in the future. And that's a very conservative estimate. On EASL games previously we've had over 22 million fans watching our games over all territories but at least 10 to 15 million from China alone on some of those games."

There is also talk about bringing some PBA games to the Dragons' backyard, according to Beyer.

"We're gonna be looking at the possibility of integrating games to the greater bay area of China, which would be Hong Kong and Macau, and to be able to see PBA action in these places as well where there can be multi-geography presence of these PBA games. That's sort of a broad concept at this point, but I think it's something that, if the finances work out and the scheduling works out, that would be very exciting."

While the Dragons fell short of the championship, falling to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in lopsided fashion in Game 7, Beyer was happy with their overall performance.

"I think the team did excellently for a team that's together for the first season, new league, and the whole roster has been built from nothing," Beyer said. "You're playing arguably the best team in the PBA with a sizeable portion of the national team players, where every game is a road game, I thought they performed great. And I'm very proud of them."

However, Beyer admits that the team may have been overwhelmed by the Game 7 atmosphere in front of 55,000 fans.

"That raucous fan base in an arena like that and maybe there's 2% of the fan base that's there to support you and then the rest are for the other team, I think that's practice for the players and to go through that adversity, to have been through that will make them a lot stronger."

The Dragons have been in Manila since August, and will continue to train here for the next few weeks before leaving for Japan for the EASL Champions Week in early March. After that, the team may look at tweaking its lineup and to start preparing for the EASL's home-and-away tournament that's slated to kick off on Oct. 11.

Beyer believes the conditions are ripe for the EASL and the Dragons to reach greater heights in 2023.

"I'm just extremely grateful for the people in the Philippines, the PBA, the media for giving us a chance and welcoming us and allowing us to do this and opening their hearts to us," Beyer said. "I really look forward to what lies in the future and I think we're gonna do even bigger and more exciting things as we go forward."

This is what I am most looking forward to for PBA with its experimentation on having a quality guest team like BAD. If this materializes, this could be the closest to an NBA-like home-away format the PBA is ever going to have. Even if it's only for a best-of-seven finals series (BAD vs. any elite PBA team), it's most likely to become a huge domestic blockbuster draw, both ratings and gate attendance-wise.