A TOP Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas official will sit down with PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa late Wednesday in the wake of SBP's decision to revive the Gilas cadet program for the national team.
Al Panlilio, head of the MVP Sports Foundation and likely successor to Manny V. Pangilinan as SBP head, will represent the cage body in the meeting that aims to thresh out contentious issues and hopefully establish areas of cooperation with the pro league with regards to the national team.
The meeting will be 'more like a private dinner' between the two basketball executives, sources told SPIN.ph.
[See Return to Gilas cadets program marks end of PBA stars' participation in Fiba events]
It will be the first meeting of minds between the two cage bodies since the SBP announced that cadet players will be forming the core of the next Gilas Pilipinas team in lieu of PBA players whose continued participation has been put into doubt by Fiba's new home-and-away qualifying format for the 2019 World Cup.
"We did it borne out of necessity," said SBP executive director Sonny Barrios of the move to revive the cadet program first adopted by the body in 2009 under former national coach Rajko Toroman.
However, the PBA Rookie Draft is expected to take a hit from the program's revival since most of the top rookie prospects are expected to sign up with the Gilas cadets.
The PBA, through Narvasa, has nonetheless vowed its continued support to Gilas Pilipinas prior to the current national team's departure for Europe for a three-week training ahead of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila next month.
Narvasa however said its imperative for the PBA and SBP to "sit down, talk, and plan for the future."
[See PBA says Gilas cadets' absence from draft a 'sacrifice' it is willing to make]
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