PARIS – Former PBA players now suiting up overseas or elsewhere, need to complete their seven-year stint in the league before they can become unrestricted free agents.
The league board stressed the point during its just-concluded annual board meeting at the Warwick Hotel here in order for players to avoid the practice of sitting out and wait until they become eligible to be unrestricted free agents.
READ: PBA board lifts sit-out sanctions on returning overseas players
“Kasi ang players sasabihin, seven years na ako. I can choose anytime I want, pero three or four years ka lang naglaro,” said board treasurer Atty. Raymond Zorilla.
“Kaya ngayon, regardless, your seven-year has to count by actually playing in the PBA and covered by a contract.”
Players who previously saw action in the league who have taken their act overseas include Kiefer Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks, Robert Bolick, Roosevelt Adams, Greg Slaughter, and Matthew Wright.
Zorilla made the case of Wright with Phoenix as a perfect example.
“Matthew played for us for six years and left,“ said Zorilla of the Fil-Canadian gunner who has signed on to play in his second season with the Kyoto Hannaryz in the Japan B. League.
If and when Wright chooses to come back and play in the PBA again, he can’t choose the team he wanted to play for even if he’s already way past the seven-year grace period for players to become unrestricted free agents.
“He can’t choose his team kasi he still has one year left to avail of the seven-year rule or residency,” said Zorilla of Wright, who was chosen by the Fuel Masters in the 2016 special draft for Gilas Pilipinas pool.
The PBA rule on unrestricted free agency began to cover those players selected during the 2014 draft, meaning Ravena, Parks, Bolick, Adams, and Wright will have to complete their playing years to seven before having the right to choose the team they could play for.
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