RAIN or Shine has already reached out to Mike Nieto on the possibility of joining the team, but it appears that the Gilas cadet is keeping his cards close to his chest as far as his future plans.
Head coach Chris Gavina said management has already spoken to Nieto, but admitted he has not got wind of his plans as his contract with Gilas is set to expire this February.
“At the moment, I’m not completely sure what Mike’s current stance is at Gilas and what further commitments he needs to compete with Gilas as of yet,” said Gavina.
“I believe our management has already reached out to him and are in talks with his options are in the near future,” said Gavina.
Chris Gavina and the Painters hold a 2-3 record in the Governors' Cup.
Other Gilas draftees have openly expressed to their mother ballclubs that joining the PBA is an option and that includes Mike’s twin brother Matt, who according to NLEX coach Yeng Guiao has “serious thoughts” about his future.
A decision to continue his national team duties won’t be far-fetched at all for Mike Nieto since he has been an integral part of the rotation of head coach Tab Baldwin.
Nieto played for Gilas during the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers, and even made it to the roster of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Serbia shortly after