Teams from the San Miguel Corporation have been always involved in trade talks with marquee players.
To start the year, there had been rumors swirling on social media that Terrafirma is looking to trade CJ Perez to San Miguel while NorthPort’s Christian Standhardinger is Ginebra-bound.
Then Saturday afternoon, super agent Danny Espiritu bared that one of Vic Manuel’s preferred destinations is San Miguel.
Wanting a player is one thing. Pulling off the right formula to trigger it is another. Just ask San Miguel Corporation Sports Director Alfrancis Chua.
“Para maliwanagan kayo, lahat ng coaches (Tim Cone of Ginebra, Leo Austria of San Miguel, and Chito Victolero of Magnolia), tinatanong ko yan, ‘Sino, ano ang kailangan niyo?” Chua shared on the Chasedown.
“Ganito, ganon. Then I will talk to RSA (Ramon S. Ang), ‘Sir, tong team na ito eto ang kailangan, ganyan, ganyan. Eto kailangan ng gwardiya, eto ganito.”
Of course, every coach wants a star-studded team. But sometimes, even Chua is left scratching his head with some of the names in the wishlist of his coaches.
“Minsan yung ibang coach, sasabihin gusto ko ‘tong player na ito. Sasabihin ko, ‘Sira ulo mo pala eh! Baligtarin kaya natin ikaw ang coach ng kabila, tingin mo papayag ka?’
“Hindi naman kasi parang pulutan ‘yan na kapag nakuha mo na e sa ‘yo na! Tapos sino ipapalit. Sasabihin si ganito. ‘O sige! Pagpalitin natin ha. Ikaw ang coach ng kabila, at ganyan lang ang ibibigay mo, tignan mo kung ibibigay yan?” quipped the amiable executive.
Though the trade moratorium has already been lifted last week, Chua believes that trades will only happen after January 27 when the final list of applicants for the 2021 PBA Rookie Draft has been unveiled.
“Wala pang kumikilos,” he admitted.
But based on the applicants already planning to enter the draft, Chua knows that this crop will be a good one.
Headlining the batch are Joshua Munzon and Jamie Malonzo. Then there are also the likes of Alvin Pasaol, Santi Santillan, Larry Muyang, Jerrick Ahanmisi, Troy Rike, Ken Holmqvist, among others.
“Tignan natin kung ano makakatulong. Kasi yung mga teams kukuha ng mga draftees yan, pag nakakuha na sila, may mga players na kahit magagaling, masasapawan ng ganito, so itre-trade at itre-trade yan. Dun ako naghihintay ng opportunity.”
