Basketball
PBA board members want assurance GlobalPort will not trade marquee players
AKTV/Leslie Sy
Mikee Romero’s GlobalPort squad is expected to become the PBA’s 10th member when the league’s Board of Governors meet on Friday.
But one member of the board wants to propose conditions to ensure that the squad, which will take over the Powerade Tigers, will not trade away its marquee players.
“Kailangan wala na munang galawan ng players for a season,” said the board member, who requested anonymity. “In that case, hindi magkakaroon ng duda yung publiko pati na rin yung ibang teams. They will also show that they’re here to compete and strengthen the team.”
Before the Tigers sold the franchise to GlobalPort, they traded away key players Marcio Lassiter and Doug Kramer, despite making a Cinderella run to the Philippine Cup finals.
Former Powerade stars Gary David and JVee Casio are expected to be the top guns for GlobalPort.
Newly-installed PBA vice-chairman Mon Segismundo and Joaqui Trillo, who represent Meralco and Alaska on the PBA board, respectively, said the idea should be given consideration.
“Yes, that’s a good suggestion, but I’m not against trading players,” Segismundo told InterAKTV in a telephone interview. “If you trade marquee players, you don’t trade them for lemons. But I’m sure the commissioner knows what he’s doing and he’s there to make sure that whatever trade made should be balance for all teams involved.”
Trillo said the board should scrutinize Romero’s application as a 10th member.
“Teams in the PBA should compete and continue to strengthen their squads. I’m out to support that idea of our fellow governor to set a condition on Mikee’s group to show good faith in their participation,” said Trillo.
A league source told InterAKTV earlier that GlobalPort’s entry into the PBA is good as done, with Romero securing the seven votes needed to approve the transfer.
