IT turned out Encho Serrano is not the only player which Phoenix lost in the ongoing PBA On Tour.
Sophomore Kurt Lojera has also flown out of the Fuel Masters’ nest and took his act to the Pilipinas Super League (PSL), joining Siomai King.
See Serrano declines Phoenix's two-year offer, chooses to play in MPBL
Lojera, ironically, is teammates with Serrano with the Kings currently seeing action in the PSL D2 Super Cup.
In three games he played in the PSL so far, the guard out of La Salle averaged 12.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists as Siomai King kept its unbeaten slate at 3-0 to pace Group A of the 14-team cast.
Prior to his transfer to the PSL, Lojera still saw action for Phoenix in the PBA On Tour, finishing with 10 points in a 106-101 win over San Miguel on May 24.
But he opted not to sign the new contract offered by the Fuel Masters management when his previous deal expired at the end of May.
“Expired na siya last May, so technically wala namang issue na,” explained Phoenix team manager Paolo Bugia.
Having been offered a contract by the Fuel Masters though, meant the PBA rights of Lojera still belongs to Phoenix.
“Technically, the rights are still with us,” added Bugia.
It’s the same case it had with the 23-year-old Serrano, whose rights remain with the Fuel Masters after declining the two-year contract the team initially offered.
The former La Salle stalwart already agreed to suit up for the Pampanga Lanterns in the MPBL, but with Serrano still unsigned by the team owned by Pampanga governor Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda, Siomai King sought the blessing of the governor to allow the high-flying guard to play for the ballclub for the moment.
Serrano paces Siomai King in scoring with an average of 18.7 points while grabbing 5.3 rebounds and issuing 3.3 assists per game.
He was a second round pick of Phoenix in last year’s draft (no. 19 overall), while Lojera was acquired in a trade with Converge along with Ben Adamos in exchange for the pair of Aljun Melecio and Kris Porter.
Lojera was originally tabbed by Blackwater as a first round pick (No. 9) in the Season 47 draft, but immediately traded him to Converge for big man Yousef Taha.
He played for the FiberXers in the season-opening Philippine Cup under former coach Jeff Cariaso, before being dealt to Phoenix when Aldin Ayo took over the coaching reins.
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