THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) hopes to lure the big guns as application to the coming rookie draft enters its final week.
While several collegiate stalwarts and players from the MPBL already submitted their papers for the Sept. 7 proceedings, some of the expected marquee names have yet applied with the deadline set for August 29.
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Jason Brickman, DJ Fenner, Juan Gomez De Liano, Michael Philips, Geo Chiu, Will Gozum, Kobe Paras, Clint Escamis, Remy Martin, and 6-foot-10 Fil-Am CJ Lane are some of the players being awaited to come out of this year’s draft.
But while some of them have verbally declared their availability for the 40th edition of the annual activity, SPIN.ph learned all of them have yet to formally submit their applications to the PBA office.
"Tingnan n'yo, magsasabay-sabay 'yan sa last two days," said a league insider.
Gozum, Gomez de Liano, Chiu, and Lane, who is currently playing in the MPBL, are certain of filing their applications in the next five days, sources said.
Sources bared Martin, a certified NCAA Division I star in the US, will consider the PBA draft if he gets his documents in order before the deadline while Paras is back in training after a long sabbatical from the game.
COLUMN: PBA draft an option for US NCAA champ Remy Martin?
Phillips' application will depend on Commissioner Willie Marcial's request for the UAAP to allow its players to apply for the draft even during the course of its season - a luxury Mapua star Escamis can do under NCAA rules.
Last year, a total of 67 players made themselves available for the draft in which 48 applicants were selected.
Big man Justin Baltazar emerged the No. 1 pick chosen by Converge followed by Sedric Barefield (Blackwater), RJ Abarrientos (Barangay Ginebra), Kai Ballungay (Phoenix), Dave Ildefonso (Northport), Jonnel Policarpio (NLEX), Caelan Tiongson and Felix Pangilinan-Lemmeti (Rain or Shine), Jerom Lastimosa (Magnolia), Mark Nonoy (Terrafirma), CJ Cansino (Meralco), and Avan Nava (San Miguel) in a stacked first round.
League officials however, expressed optimism there will be a deluge of players submitting their application before the end of office hours at 5 p.m. on Friday.
Terrafirma again owns the season’s top overall pick for the third time in the last five draft proceedings.
Phoenix will select No. 2 followed by Blackwater.
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