Those darting dashes in the lane that Marcio Lassiter used to make in a Powerade uniform won’t be seen in another team.
At least for now.
PBA Commissioner Chito Salud yesterday shot down the trade proposal that could have sent the electrifying rookie to Petron Blaze, asking the ballclubs involved to revise the deal and make the swap more palatable.
At the same time, Salud emphasized the need for the pro league to install guidelines preventing teams from dealing away their top-notch players while the franchise is being peddled on the market.
Lassiter, tabbed fourth overall by the Tigers in the Draft, has been dangled by Powerade for sophomore players Nonoy Baclao and Rey Guevarra while the negotiations for the sale of the Coca-Cola franchise have been feverishly ongoing.
“The board has agreed in the next board meeting that the commissioner will be proposing rules precisely to cover that vacuum,” said Salud.
“Collectively, we will formulate rules to avoid the unloading or trading of players in contemplation of a sale,” he added during yesterday’s PBA Board of Governors emergency meeting attended by representatives of the 10 ballclubs.
Ronnie Asuncion, acting Coca-Cola governor, also reiterated to the board that the beverage company’s franchise in the PBA hasn’t been sold or transferred to another firm, quashing speculations that San Miguel Corporation has purchased the Tigers to the tune of P100 million.
“This meeting has allowed us to explain our position that no sale has been done, no sums of money have been exchanged between two parties. Interest has been shown but no sale has been concluded,” said Asuncion, who filled the shoes of former PBA vice chair JB Baylon as team representative.
Baylon resigned as communications director for Coca-Cola export last Friday.
Asuncion even reinforced hopes of Coca-Cola’s prolonged stay in the league by claiming the Tigers would win the championship in the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup after their failed mission in the Finals last conference.
“Having established that no sale was consummated, the two teams (Petron and Powerade) can now make trades,” said Salud.
“Upon evaluation of the trade that is now before my office, I am exercising my right as commissioner to veto the trade, return the trade to the parties concerned for possible revisions to make it more balanced,” added the second-generation commissioner. /inquirer