CHICAGO - Over the past 25 months of this saga, money is the choke point where the long and exhausting contract impasse between TNT and star guard Mikey Williams has stalled.
After previously refusing to budge on taking less than the reported $26,000 a month in salaries and bonuses that his last contract provided, the sharp-shooting guard finally agreed to take a pay cut.
According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, Mikey acquiesced to a pay as low as $18,000 a month including perks, which is way below the market value of a two-time Finals MVP and two-time PBA champion.
READ Pogoy, Erram, Oftana torment Rain or Shine in late TNT breakaway
But the deal, discussed just weeks ago, fell through allegedly because the Tropang 5G refused to guarantee the one-year deal.
The stiff-arm has become a new source of frustration for the Williams camp, which has renewed pleas for his former team to either trade him or release his rights.
Whatever slight Williams has inflicted upon the mother ship franchise of the MVP group, he had already been penalized sufficiently by not forging a deal for over two years now.
"He just wants to play. He's been ready to play," his camp said.
However, given Williams' history of perceived abandonment, TNT's refusal to give him guaranteed money makes business sense. But also given the team's need of a prolific scorer in the absence of Jayson Castro and Rey Nambatac, why not make a leap of faith?
While securing that guaranteed money is paramount, just as important for Mikey, I was told, is good faith and the desire to have security of tenure especially so that he's flying across the globe to help secure TNT's much-coveted grand slam bid.
"ANG GULO KAUSAP."
Asked to comment on this recent contract hiccup, a TNT official had a terse reply.
"Mikey has no agent. Ang gulo kausap," he said while alluding to the challenges of communicating with the Los Angeles-based combo guard.
During his stint with Strong Group Athletics (SGA) in Dubai last January, Williams was represented by Anthony "Brody" Brodett of Phenom Sports Management while Nadine Jamal is reportedly the lead representative for Mikey with TNT.
Meanwhile, buoyed by a barrage of late 3s from Simon Enciso and Roger Pogoy, TNT held off Rain or Shine on Wednesday night, 111-103, to improve its record to 4-3.
While TNT is still poised to make the playoffs, they're barely holding on, wounded with a spate of injuries.
Mikey Williams is the logical solution. He isn't just a band-aid. He is the entire first-aid kit.
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