GILAS Pilipinas coach Norman Black is inquiring about the availability of Jamie Malonzo for the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand.
Malonzo is a member of the Gilas Pilipinas main team coached by Tim Cone and plays in FIBA tournaments.
With the recent development that he was released by Kyoto in the Japan B.League, Black is interested to bring in Malonzo to the SEA Games roster, which has one more slot left.
“I just heard Malonzo is available now. Obviously, I’m going to call him and try to see whether he will be interested in playing. I still have one slot available,” said Black during Saturday’s Power and Play program.
Malonzo, though, may not be available again come the regional which will be held from December 9 to 20. Following his release from the Hannaryz, he said he is now in talks with other Japan teams and he intends to continue his season in the B.League.
READ: Just-released Jamie Malonzo staying put in Japan for the meantime
If he signs up with another team, Malonzo will fall again in the same boat as overseas players Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao, as they are not available to play for Gilas in the SEA Games because their mother leagues are ongoing.
Japan and Korea leagues are also not mandated to release their players to the national team in non-FIBA tournaments such as the SEA Games.
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