WHEN all seems to be going smoothly in the reboot of his basketball career, Kyt Jimenez, a source said, risks a PBA ban if the former San Miguel guard plays for the Zamboanga Valientes in the Dubai International Basketball Championship.
The source told SPIN.ph that the PBA board, in a meeting on Thursday afternoon, has discussed a possible breach of contract that will be committed by Jimenez once he suits up for the Valientes in the Dubai showpiece.
READ Kyt Jimenez still not giving up on his PBA dream
To explain, the source said the unrestricted free agent may have already been released by San Miguel from the remainder of a three-year contract that runs until December 2025, but he has yet to secure his release from the league office.
The Uniform Player's Contract, the source added, is a tripartite agreement entered into by the player, his team and the league and therefore cannot be cancelled unilaterally or by only two parties.
READ Jimenez seeks SMB consent for next career move
Jimenez's dilemma is similar to the situation faced by Kiefer Ravena when the former NLEX guard signed with the Shiga Lakestars in the Japan B.League in 2021 after securing the green light from the Road Warriors.
Ravena was unable to suit up for his B.League team until he got the proper clearance from the PBA.
READ Kiefer Ravena signing with Japan team 'not allowed' under PBA rules
Can Jimenez secure his release in time for the Dubai tournament kicking off on Friday.
At posting time, Jimenez is airborne en route to Dubai with the whole Valientes squad of businessman/sportsman Junnie Navarro. The team left the country at around 2:45 p.m. on Thursday.
If he can't suit up in Dubai, Jimenez stands to lose a lot financially. The flamboyant guard, a source said, is set to be paid P150,000 for the week-long tournament, compared to his reported monthly take of P90,000 at SMB.
Jimenez is also set to be signed to a long-term deal by the Valientes, a source added.
SPIN.ph contacted a source from inside the SMB camp and he confirmed the team has already released Jimenez from his contract obligation last January 20. The same source revealed the player even received his final paycheck with the Beermen a few days ago.
“Na-release na namin siya. Di ba nagbigay na n a statement si Gee (Abanilla) na maayos namang nagpaalam ang bata. Ang problema, wala siyang clearance sa PBA,” said the source.
“So 'yung PBA ang humahabol sa kanya,” said the SMB insider.
When asked if the Beermen have plans of re-enlisting Jimenez, the same source said: “Eh mukha, kasi gusto ni RSA (Ramon S. Ang) yung bata. Tahimik tapos malakas ang appeal sa fans at may laro naman, hindi lang nabigyan ng break kasi twice na-injure kung kelan gagamitin na siya.
“Saka gusto ni coach Leo (Austria) si Kyt. Remember, gagamitin na 'yan eh. Na-injure naman sa bathtub, nasugat ang kamay,” he added.
Full of optimism in his maiden foray in an international tournament, Jimenez had hoped his stint in Dubai will give him the platform to showcase his talent not just to millions of Filipino basketball fans but to the rest of Asia and the world.
Jimenez was relegated to the unrestricted free agent list by San Miguel after the team breached the limit of seven Fil-foreign players per PBA team. Under league rules, Jimenez is considered a Fil-Saudi as he was born in the Middle Eastern country to Filipino overseas workers.
Meanwhile, another source bared that the PBA is looking to revise its Fil-foreign limit and re-consider the case of Jimenez, which would open the door for the former Mavs Phenomenal Dayo Series star for a return to the Beermen line-up.
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