Kia ships first pick to San Miguel

The San Miguel Beermen have acquired the first overall pick for the 2017 PBA Draft from the league cellar-dwellers Kia Picanto, sources told Tiebreaker Times.

In exchange, the Beermen will dispose of the majority of their second and third stringers in the transaction, including Jay-R Reyes, Rashawn McCarthy, and Keith Agovida. Moreover, a future first round pick and a “huge” amount of cash was added to sweeten the deal.

This is the second time in three years that the Columbian Autocar Corporation-owned franchise have shipped away a high pick of a draft, doing the same back in 2015 when it traded the rights to Troy Rosario to the TNT Katropa.

Christian Standhardinger, who is the top pick in most mock drafts, will most likely be picked by the Beermen. However, the 6-foot-7 Filipino-German will have to finish his commitments with ABL club team Hong Kong Eastern Sports Club.

The trade will only be approved by the league on Monday.