THOUGH in need of a big man, new PBA team Converge isn't jumping into the Greg Slaughter sweepstakes.
Converge governor Chito Salud said they respect the current negotiations between free agent Slaughter and his mother team Northport Batang Pier, even if the talks have taken an acrimonious turn the past two days.
[See Slaughter denies NorthPort team manager's claims]
“Honestly, we are aware that Greg has an expired contract, but we also understand that there is an impasse," said Salud when asked about the FiberExers' interest in the former Ateneo and University of Visayas slotman.
"We want to respect that and give both sides breathing space to settle their negotiation,” added Salud.
The 33-year old Slaughter is the tallest player in the league, but has been without a contract since his last deal ended on January 31.
After Slaughter bared in a post on Sunday that NorthPort has 'ceased communication' on a new contract, NorthPort team manager Bonnie Tan claimed the former Rookie of the Year is asking for more than the P420,000 maximum PBA salary.
In a succeeding post, Slaughter belied Tan's claims.
In a previous SPIN.ph interview, Salud said Converge is hoping to snare a big man and a reliable shooting guard from the free-agent market so they can turn a mid-tier team into a contender in its debut season in the pro ranks.
A move for Slaughter, if any, will have to wait.
Salud denies bid for Abueva, Sangalang
At the same time, Salud denied social media talk that the FiberExers are currently in negotiations with Magnolia Hotshots for a chance at acquiring Ian Sangalang and Calvin Abueva in exchange for their precious 2022 first-round picks.
“Not true. We’re still weighing our options and we know we have opportunities to get the pieces we need in the coming draft,” he said.
Converge owns the 3rd and 4th overall picks in the talent-laden draft that hopes to attract top prospects like Justin Baltazar, Ricci Rivero, Shaun Ildefonso, Jeremiah Gray, Brandon Rosser and Encho Serrano.
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