WITH THE FINALS in the PBA Philippine Cup heating up, the rest of the other squads are busy shoring up their rosters in preparation for the Commissioner’s Cup, which begins next month.
Another proposed trade was submitted to the PBA Commissioner’s office yesterday involving B-Meg, Ginebra and Barako Bull.
The transaction would see B-Meg receiving Gin Kings forward JC Intal and a 2012 second-round pick from Barako Bull that originally belonged to Air 21, formerly Shopinas.com. Ginebra would get Llamados forward Kerby Raymundo and Energy rookie Dylan Ababou. Barako Bull would end up with Gin Kings veteran swingman Ronald Tubid, rookie Reil Cervantes and a second-round draft pick in 2014 from Ginebra.
The deal is awaiting the approval of commissioner Chito Salud, who has the right to veto or revise trades that he perceives to be imbalanced.
A 10-time all-star selection and a three-time member of the PBA mythical squad, Raymundo has been part of the Purefoods franchise since 2002, winning the Governors’ Cup finals Most Valuable Player award in his first tournament with the team.
After missing most of last season due to injury, the former Letran stalwart made a triumphant return for the Llamados in the Philippine Cup, ranking first on the team in assists, second in rebounding, and third in scoring.
Intal was a reliable role player for the Gin Kings, averaging 9.2 points per game in the Philippine Cup, good for fifth on the team.
Ababou, a former Smart-Gilas Pilipinas backup forward, had a solid rookie campaign for Barako Bull, averaging 11.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Curiously, Barako Bull, Ginebra, and B-Meg were also involved in another blockbuster deal earlier this season that sent Allein Maliksi and Rico Maierhofer to the Gin Kings.
This also marks the second consecutive year that the Barako Bull franchise traded away all its first round picks midway through the season. Last year, the team, then known as Air 21, traded its top three picks Nonoy Baclao, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, and Rey Guevarra to San Miguel. Correspondent Jonas Panerio