CHICAGO - Well, that didn't take long.
Just days after his blockbuster trade from TNT to Converge was officially approved by the league, Mikey Williams has signed the PBA's Uniformed Players Contract (UPC) and swiftly hurled the document back to the FiberXers' court.
Mikey's signature on the dotted line moves the chains to a potential return to the PBA where he left 26 months ago while seeking a new contract with the Tropang 5G after delivering a second title to the MVP franchise.
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But the renegotiation talks quickly went sour before eventually becoming toxic and untenable, which ultimately led to last week's high stakes, high-profile divorce.
'Signed it," Williams' camp confirmed to me the development on Thursday night. "We are pleased that the lines of communication are open, and that the talks are anchored in good faith and without very long periods of silence in between."
LONG WAY TO GO YET.
But traversing a route from signing a UPC to actually playing on the court is still a bridge too far, a Converge insider with knowledge of the situation cautioned.
It's not guaranteed but it seems inevitable because both sides have a real need and a genuine desire to strike a deal.
Hungered for competition after being gone for over two years, Mikey is eager to reprise his role as a two-time PBA champion and two-time Finals MVP. And getting paid a lucrative sum while doing it is the cherry on the sundae.
The 6-foot-2 sharpshooter will turn 34 this October but except for a chip on his shoulder, he is fully healthy and ready to terrorize the PBA with his deep arsenal of offensive weapons.
Converge, on the other hand, is determined to add elite shooting and scoring to an already formidable line-up led by Justine Baltazar, Justin Arana, Alec Stockton and Schonny Winston, to name just a few.
Signing Mikey reinforces Converge's street cred as an independent team with a big punch and a deep wallet to compete against the mighty forces of the MVP Group and SMC bloc.
WHAT HAPPEND TO JASON BRICKMAN?
Following a start turn at the T1 League in Taiwan where he won Best Import Player honors in 2022, Jason Brickman took his talents to the Abra Weavers of the MPBL this season.
But after just one game where he logged two points and two assists in 21 minutes of action, Brickman quietly left the team and hasn't been playing since.
Mystery solved.
Brickman is taking care of a "personal matter" and is back in his home state of Texas in the US, his reps told me while clarifying that Jason's status with Abra is "on hold."
So, what does the future hold for the Fil-Am playmaker?
Entering the PBA Rookie Draft later this year is still an option, I was told, and that's a good thing for the PBA.
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