ROOKIE Kai Ballungay signed a three-year contract with Phoenix, giving the team the needed frontcourt help it was sorely lacking in past PBA campaigns.
Team manager Paolo Bugia confirmed the deal given to the No. 4 overall pick in the recent draft, who was with the rest of the Fuel Masters for the 39th Kadayawan Invitational basketball tournament in Davao City last week.
“He signed up right before leaving (for Davao),” said Bugia. “We haven’t able to do ‘yung formal signing at the office because the team was in Davao and the (PBA) governors just came back from their planning sessions.”
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The Ateneo stalwart has played in all four games of the Fuel Masters in Davao, with his best output coming in a 104-102 loss to Rain or Shine where he finished with 10 points and four rebounds.
The Fuel Masters went winless in all three games in the single-round robin eliminations, but beat Converge FiberXers in the battle for third place at the University of Southeastern Philippines gym.
Ballungay is the only rookie player signed by Phoenix as it let go of draftees CJ Payawal, Chino Mosqueda, and Patrick Feleciano.
Payawal eventually signed a one-year contract with TNT as a rookie free agent.
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