CHICAGO - Although several of the top-tier players have yet to officially declare, there is no doubt that Justine Baltazar is among the crown jewels of this year's Season 49 PBA Rookie Draft class.
It's no secret that Converge had long pined for the 6-foot-7, 250-pound big. And now armed with the No. 1 pick, the FiberXers are expected to make Baltazar the foundational piece of their rebuilding.
There's just one hiccup, though.
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With the July 4 deadline to enter the draft fast approaching, it remains unclear if the MPBL star, who is in the thick of the Pampanga Giant Lanterns' Season 6 campaign, will make the leap.
Should Baltazar ride it out with Pampanga as it shoots for a back-to-back MPBL championships, the pivot would be crushing to the FiberXers' best-laid plans.
But they're not going to lose sleep over it, either, thanks to the guardrails they have in place.
JACOB'S LADDER.
"It would be great to have a talent like Balti play for us, but if it doesn't work out we are prepared to move on as an organization," team manager Jacob Lao told me in a telephone interview.
Thanks to Lao's foresight, a leadership trait he inherited from his billionaire father, Frank Lao, Converge has a Plan B, C, D, and E, if needed.
Fil-Am Sedrick Barefield is on the Converge draft board, but since he has an offer in both Taiwan and Mexico, the 6-foot-2 point guard is unlikely to hoop in the PBA.
Which leaves Kai Ballungay high on Jacob's list.
"He's ready for the pros. He can defend and rebound, and his shooting range extends beyond the 3-point range," Lao said of his former Ateneo teammate.
In UAAP Season 86, his last as a Blue Eagle, Ballungay averaged 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds in 14 games.
Evan Nelle, the court general of La Salle's 2023 title run, is also on Converge's draft board.
WHIRLING DERVISH.
The 5-foot-11 Nelle averaged 11.3 points and 5 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2 steals in 13 games during his final year. His big-game moxie and daredevilish tendencies make the headband-strapping former Green Archer a blue chip prospect.
Another name Converge is considering has a familiar ring to UAAP fans.
Jerom Lastimosa.
"He is really, really good," Lao said of the former Adamson leader. But with a full ACL tear that was operated on last December, his readiness gives Converge reason to pause.
When healthy, though, Jerom can be dazzling, mesmerizing. And he has both the mental and physical toughness to carry a franchise.
In the end, however, Jacob is praying that the basketball gods will gift him with Balti entering his name in the draft.
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