CHICAGO - A one-time PBA champion and a five-time All-Star, Jio Jalalon is a valuable commodity for any team looking for both on-court production and locker room leadership.
So when his Uniform Player's Contract expired last August 31 followed by his mother team's signing rights lapsing 30 days later, it was a bit perplexing why Pureblends elected to just let go of the former Magnolia Hotshot.
READ Jio Jalalon now an unrestricted free agent as Titan rights lapse
Well, there is actually a method to the madness.
For the first time since the local hoops universe have wondered about Jalalon's weird journey from pending unrestricted free agency and into TNT's team practices, the management of Pureblends spoke to SPIN.ph on the issue.
"It was a tough decision. Jio is a proven entity in our league. But ultimately, we decided to move to a different direction in our rebuilding process," Titan Ultra GM Aldriane Anglim told me in a telephone interview on Thursday night.
WHERE TO NEXT?
While temporarily orphaned, the 33-year old Jalalon has multiple options in continuing to ply his trade.
According to a source in the MPBL, a North Division team had reached out for Jalalon's services. But understanding that the 5-foot-9, 150-lb point guard can't be signed long term considering his imminent return to the PBA, the contender is willing to ink Jio on a per game basis at P75,000 an outing.
Handled by powerhouse player agent Danny Espiritu, Jalalon was pulling in max money from Magnolia where he played for eight years and won a 'chip and in Northport where he was eventually traded. He won't come cheap wherever he lands but he will be worth the prove point.
Meanwhile, a TNT official confirmed to me the other day that team manager Jojo Lastimosa "will talk to him when we arrive."
The Tropang 5G, who eloped to Abu Dhabi for an international tournament, is set to arrive in Manila at 10 am Friday.
EXTRA WEAPON.
Although its depth chart in the guards department is fairly deep with Rey Nambatac back from a groin injury and veteran Simon Enciso on board, Jayson Castro remains sidelined as he continues to recover from a patellar tendon tear.
Adding Jalalon, a reliable ball carrier and pesky defender, to the mix gives TNT another layer of toughness and versatility.
And while Jalalon is about to set off to new horizons, Pureblends is attempting to hold on to another asset whose rights it had inherited from NorthPort.
Greg Slaughter.
"Our discussions with Greg are in the infancy stages," Anglim explained, his words echoing with cautious optimism. "Signing a big name like him is complex. Hopefully, we can close on a deal."
A sucker for reunions, here's hoping Greg makes a PBA comeback
Love him or hate him I think we can all agree Godzilla is good for the league.
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