A PBA team has expressed interest in tapping the services of free agent wing Javi Gomez de Liano.
The 26-year-old cager, coming off a stint with Anyang Jun Kwang Jang Red Boosters in the Korean Basketball League, made the disclosure after watching the Philippine Cup game between San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
GDL didn’t disclose exactly which team, although feelers have already been made.
“Meron isang team. Pero verbal pa lang,” he said.
Of course, his playing rights still belong to Terrafirma, where he played his first two seasons before taking his act to the KBL.
As he put it, “Yes, Terrafirma pa. So we’ll see how it goes.”
Home sweet home for Javi
Gomez de Liano went to the Big Dome to watch his former Dyip teammates now playing for other teams such as Stephen Holt and Isaac Go for the Gin Kings and Juami Tiongson and Andreas Cahilig for the Beermen.
He also hooked up with ex-Gilas Pilipinas teammates Jaydee Tungcab of Blackwater and NorthPort’s William Navarro.
“I came up to watch my former teammates. It’s free day. I just got home from my season and of course, I wanted to watch some PBA action. Nakaka-miss din,” said the former University of the Philippines star.
Prior to playing in Korea, GDL was a big part of the young, athletic Terrafirma side that reached the playoffs of last season’s Philippine Cup where the Dyip took San Miguel to the limit in their quarterfinals series.
Gomez De Liano formed part of the team’s starting unit along with Holt, Go, Tiongson, and Cahilig.
Shortly after that breakout conference, the franchise broke that very same core by trading Tiongson and Cahilig to the Beermen and Holt and Go to the Gin Kings.
For his part, the sweet-shooting 6-foot-5 forward didn’t sign a contract extension offered by Terrafirma and went to play in the KBL.
He said at the moment he’s awaiting offers from both the KBL and the Japan B.League where he also previously suited up.
Yet, there’s still no place like home, according to GDL.
“If I get a good offer here, and I hope I do, so that it will give me reason to stay here and be with family,” he said. “I’m at this point na that I want to settle down na rin. Nakakapagod din yung magbiyahe sa abroad.”
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