FOR a change, GlobalPort said it has no immediate plan to tinker with its roster.
That should be enough to put to rest rumors that the Batang Pier are interested in swapping flamboyant rookie gunner Terrence Romeo for Alaska’s veteran high-flyer Cyrus Baguio.
Batang Pier team manager BJ Manalo said management's main concern at the moment is chemistry since the team is starting to settle down under new coach Pido Jarencio, who only had one win to show during his PBA coaching debut in the Commissioner’s Cup.
“Walang katotohanan iyan,” Manalo told Spin.ph on Friday, quashing rumors that Romeo, the team’s fifth overall pick in last year’s rookie draft, is bound for the Aces.
“We want to work on the team’s chemistry under coach Pido.”
Manalo explained that a trade completed on Wednesday that saw rookie big man Justin Chua move over to San Miguel Beer in exchange for sophomore slotman Yousef Taha was merely deal that was postponed from February.
The Chua-Taha swap was supposed to be part of the seven-player, four-team deal that centered on Sol Mercado's move to San Miguel in exchange for Alex Cabagnot, but the trade had to wait owing to a league rule that bars a player from returning to his former team in less than two conferences.
[See Chua-Taha swap left out of trade equation owing to technicality]
“Hindi lang kasi natuloy yun before due to a technicality,” said Manalo.
But now that Taha is back to Globalport for a second tour of duty, Manalo feels they’ve got an energetic center who could provide the hustle and youth to keep up with other elite big men in the league.
“Mas need namin ang five (center) kaya kinuha namin si Yousef. Naglaro na siya sa amin last year so kahit paano alam na niya sistema ng team,” he added.
Meantime, Jarencio said the team has a short list of imports for the season-ending Governors Cup.
With the conference’s height limit pegged at 6-5, Jarencio said their immediate goal is to get a reinforcement who scores in bunches and someone who could complement their team built around veterans Jay Washington and Alex Cabagnot as well as youngsters Romeo and RR Garcia.
“Ang hinahanap namin eh yung import na swingman or two-guard. Scorer ang hinahanap namin,” said Jarencio.
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