PACE has been slow for the signing of rookies selected in the PBA Season 46 Rookie Draft.
Five days removed from the annual rookie selection proceedings, only Terrafirma has signed its rookies, top pick Joshua Munzon and No. 8 James Laput, to separate three-year deals.
For the others, only tender offers were signed by the rookies.
Tender offers, we should explain, aren't the formal contracts yet as this only indicates that a team intends to keep the rights on the players it drafted.
Deadline for tender offers are on Friday but sources said the league isn't putting an absolute deadline on the process, giving teams a little leeway amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
From there, players and their respective agents will begin the negotiation process as they try to come to terms on the value and length of the Uniform Player's Contract (UPC).
The UPC is the contract itself, and the PBA has told teams that they must sign their rookies by April 6.
Traditionally, players selected in the first round are assured of contracts, with the hitches only coming on how much their salary or how long the deal would be.
Maximum deals for rookies, especially for those in the top three, are at P150,000 for three years, although the PBA has mulled increasing those figures in the past.
Meanwhile, those who aren't handed tender offers, especially those taken in the latter rounds, will automatically become free agents and can talk and sign with other clubs interested in securing their services.
So what's taking the rookies so long to sign their contracts?
Well, blame it on the COVID-19 pandemic. Scheduling has been a big headache for almost all teams who want to see their draftees in practice before making decisions on tender offers and actual contracts.
A number of team managers who SPIN.ph talked to confirmed that getting draftees to clear health protocols before joining practices has been time-consuming.
With the current spike in COVID cases, that task has become even more demanding.
The PBA has already pushed back its scheduled season launch to April 18, most likely under a semi-bubble at Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Aside from scheduling concerns, several PBA teams are still deciding on their rosters, looking at who will crack the 15-man lineup for the five-a-side game and who will be better equipped to play in the inaugural season of the PBA 3x3.
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