THE PBA and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) have formally sealed a deal on the future of the national team, announcing the Gilas cadets who will be part of the special draft.
Mac Belo, Carl Bryan Cruz, Ed Daquioag, Russel Escoto, Kevin Ferrer, Jio Jalalon, Von Pessumal, Roger Pogoy, Mike Tolomia, Arnold Van Opstal, and Matthew Wright have been identified as part of the Gilas pool who will join the special draft to be held on the same day as the regular rookie draft on October 30.
SBP has added one player in Fonso Gotladera in the pool to take the place of Gilas cadet Almond Vosotros, who is already a pro.
“This is a landmark happening, agreement between SBP and PBA,” SBP president Al Panlilio said. “It’s a very collaborative agreement.”
[See Plan to pick one player per PBA team, special draft for cadets up for board approval]
The draft order is set to be determined based on the teams’ standings at the end of Season 41.
The PBA also announced that all the teams have agreed to release one regular player each to bolster the 13-man pool.
“At any given time, the max number of players a team can lose is two: one Gilas player and one regular player,” commissioner Chito Narvasa said.
Gilas players, who cannot be traded over the next two years, can be summoned for training two months before an international tournament.
The regular PBA players who are called up by returning coach Chot Reyes will be released 15 days before a competition, Narvasa said.
“Like Chot said, you have to commit to be drafted to start with and the play for your mother team, then the scheduling just follows after that,” Panlilio said.
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