NLEX coach Yeng Guiao stuck to the company line when asked about the surprising trade that saw the No. 4 overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft change hands from the Road Warriors to sister team TnT Tropang Giga.
One thing he couldn't hide was the disappointment.
"Lahat nga nagulat dun sa trade namin. Pati nga ako nagulat, eh," the veteran coach said with part disdain and part humor on Saturday.
Breaking his silence over the trade in an appearance on The Chasedown, Guiao admitted his plans were all set for the coming season as he prepared to integrate two prized draft picks at No. 3 and 4 into an NLEX team that was beginning to look like a contender, with key building blocks like Kiefer Ravena and Kevin Alas.
Guiao had hoped to add two more key pieces to that nucleus, with sources saying the Road Warriors were dead-set on drafting San Beda star Calvin Oftana and Fil-American guard Mikey Williams in Sunday's rookie draft.
The NLEX coach, insiders bared, was so high on Williams that he felt the 6-2 guard was the best player of the draft class.
But all those plans came crumbling down when the Road Warriors' No. 4 draft pick was sent to TnT in a three-way trade with Blackwater as conduit that left NLEX with Don Trollano, Maurice Shaw, Roi Sumang, and a few draft picks.
The company released a statement on its coach's behalf. But that too made it pretty clear that the trade was beyond Guiao's control.
“I have strongly indicated my position on the matter. Unfortunately, I do not make the final decisions. I remain a good soldier and team player," part of the NLEX statement quoted Guiao as saying.

On Saturday, Guiao admitted that he had grand plans for the two prized picks.
"I wanted to hold on to those picks," he said. "We will move forward from this trade with a positive outlook and focus on our preparation to put together a competitive team for this coming season."
NLEX, though, will still have a lot of things to settle going to Sunday's draft. For one, drafting Oftana at No. 3 suddenly doesn't look like a sound decision since the former Red Lion gunner plays the same position as Trollano.
Also, Shaw, based on his injury-marred rookie season with Blackwater, hardly looks like the big man NLEX desperately needs after losing starting center Poy Erram last season, also to sister team TnT.
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