Involving Gilas in PBA draft

The PBA draft is scheduled on Oct. 30 and the plan is to involve the players in the Gilas pool but the process of how to include the eligibles remains an unresolved issue. Also not settled is how many Gilas players will be listed for the draft.

The talk is 14 players will be named in the Gilas pool for the draft. Expected to be in the list are Kiefer Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks, Mac Belo, Mike Tolomia, Russell Escoto, Von Pessumal, Ed Daquioag, Roger Pogoy, Kevin Ferrer and Jio Jalalon. Of the 10, only Arellano’s Jalalon is still enrolled but NCAA rules allow a graduating player to be drafted while the season is ongoing. Others who may be included in the pool are Carl Cruz, Arnold Van Opstal, Chris Javier, Jonathan Grey and Matthew Wright.

The PBA Board of Governors will convene for a meeting today and may take up the draft procedure. One suggestion is to hold a separate draft for the Gilas players using the same order of selection as in the regular draft. Another suggestion is to include the Gilas players with the other draft eligibles in the same pool and apply the order of selection.

A compromise suggestion is to hold a separate draft for the Gilas players using a “pure” order of selection, meaning the reverse sequence of finish of every team with the PBA formula of 40 percent for the Philippine Cup, 30 percent for the Commissioner’s Cup and 30 percent for the Governors Cup. A “pure” order will net out whatever trades may have been made to rearrange the sequence of selection in the regular draft. Eligible players outside of the Gilas pool will be picked in the regular draft using the order to reflect trades.

Will trades be allowed for the separate Gilas draft? That will mean altering the “pure” order of selection. My view is trades may be allowed but it must be clear to all teams that only player rights will be traded with no certainty of when a player is able to join the PBA. Player rights may be traded for picks in the regular draft or active players.

To beef up the cast of eligibles, the PBA may reach out to the UAAP and ask if graduating players may be included in the draft – as in the NCAA – on condition they will turn pro only after the collegiate season ends. Among the graduating UAAP standouts are Jeron Teng, Thomas Torres, Jason Perkins and Julian Sargent of La Salle and Al Francis Tamsi and Monbert Arong of FEU.

Gilas players who are drafted by a PBA team may not turn pro until he is dropped from the national pool or leaves for whatever reason. So, in effect, only his rights are awarded to the drafting team. It’s similar to what happens in the NBA when a player is picked and isn’t able to join for the incoming season. Take, for instance, Brazil’s Tiago Splitter. He was selected on the first round by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 NBA draft but didn’t get to play for the Spurs until the 2010-11 season. So his rights were retained by the Spurs on account of his draft until he could play in the NBA.

Gilas players may be signed to one, two, three or four-year deals by the SBP. But if a PBA-drafted player is cut from Gilas or opts out, he won’t need to wait for the next draft to turn pro. He is able to jump straight into the PBA because his rights will have already been awarded to a team.

Alaska team owner Fred Uytengsu’s proposal is for the Gilas players to join the regular draft with no distinction. He’s not for a special or separate draft for the Gilas players. “By allowing the Gilas Cadets to join the PBA draft and not creating a separate draft for them, we make the PBA draft the most exciting draft that the league has ever seen,” he said. “All of a sudden, teams have to decide whether or not they will draft a Gilas player who may not be available for 1-4 years or they pick a player who is ready right now. It puts pressure on team managers and coaches to make good decisions. Perhaps, this is why member of the Board are afraid of allowing the Gilas Cadets to join the PBA draft? Because they will have to do the work and draft wisely? All of us owners will hold our people accountable for making good decisions but that is no reason for the league to shy away from doing what is best for both the league and the fans.”

Uytengsu said a common draft will avoid a situation in the future where separate drafts will be held for Gilas Cadets as they graduate from school. He also said he doesn’t want to create a situation where teams could tank to improve their draft order. “I believe what I proposed is the best situation for the PBA to show its whole-hearted support for the national team, for the SBP to show its support for the PBA, providing the win-win solution that is above politics and what the Filipino fans deserve,” said Uytengsu.

At the moment, two teams will not be involved in the first round of the regular draft because of previous trades. TNT KaTropa and GlobalPort are without first round picks. Barangay Ginebra and Phoenix own two first round picks while the other teams, one each. In the “pure” order, every team has one pick in the first round with the order based on the reverse sequence of finish using a weighted formula for the three conferences this season.

The PBA Board will decide what is best for the league, Gilas, SBP, players and fans to settle the draft issue, possibly in today’s meeting.