Demape deal may send Rico to Talk 'n Text

Talk 'n Text released yesterday ace pointguard Gilbert Demape plus a draft pick in a deal with Purefoods which the Phone Pals hope may pave the way for the team to catch Ateneo prized slotman Enrico Villanueva from the PBA Rookie Draft Sunday.

Talk 'n Text and Purefoods figured in the very first PBA trade deal in year 2003 with the Phone Pals releasing Demape and their No. 6 pick in the coming draft in exchange for the Hotdogs’ No. 4 pick.

At No. 4, the Talk 'n Text team management is hopeful it can still get the 6-foot-5 Villanueva to provide a solid frontcourt partner to main man Asi Taulava.

The only hitch on Talk 'n Text’s plan to get Villanueva is Shell, which, at No. 3, is still torn between the hefty former Ateneo Eagle and 6-foot-3 forward Eddie Laure. Alaska Milk and Barangay Ginebra have long decided to get Mike Cortez and Romel Adducul at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

There were reports that the PLDT franchise higher management has been in touch with its Shell counterpart, convincing the Turbochargers to take in Laure and leave Villanueva to them.

PLDT top official Manny Pangilinan is reportedly keen on getting Villanueva. Incidentally, Pangilinan acted as the main backer of the Villanueva-led Ateneo team which reigned supreme in the 2002 UAAP campaign.

Talk 'n Text seems to be embarking on another major revamp as it is also working on a possible deal with Alaska Milk. The Phone Pals are offering Don Camaso for Alaska’s other first-round pick – No. 10 – on Sunday’s draft.

Purefoods likewise is also trying to get a separate deal with Sta. Lucia with hopes of getting another crack in the first round of the draft featuring an impressive cast of young players.

Other players getting much attention from the pool are Reynel Hugnatan, Billy Mamaril, Marlon Legaspi, Sunday Salvacion, John Ferriols, Ronald Tubid and Fil-Ams Jimmy Alapag and Carey Harvey.

By yielding the No. 4 pick to Talk 'n Text, Purefoods plugged a hole in the pointguard spot on its acquisition of Demape – a Cebuano player who had his breakout season in the PBA last year.

Demape, a former MBA star, led the PBA in three-point shooting percentage and placed No. 3 – behind only Olsen Racela and Dindo Pumaren – in assist-turnover ratio last season. He made it to the Mythical Second Team in the PBA yearend awards.

Actually, the Talk 'n Text-Purefoods trade nearly failed to materialize with the Hotdogs asking to include Telan in the deal. Telan has said he wants out of Talk 'n Text.