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[av_heading heading=’RoS unloads Lee, Quinahan to take Yap, Washington ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – James Yap and Anthony Washington were set to return to the franchise they played for in their amateur days.
Both were shipped to Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in separate one-on-one deals on Thursday.
In exchange, Painters let go of former PBA Rookie of the Year Paul Lee to Star Hotshots and burly center JR Quinahan to GlobalPort Batang Pier.
Both deals were approved by PBA commissioner Andres Narvasa last night.
A Painters official told Panay News they decided to let go of Lee and Quinahan — both instrumental in the team’s title run in the Commissioner’s Cup — when the cagers refused to sign a contract extension.
“The management was having a hard time convincing them,” said the official, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak to the press.
“They decided to trade them (Lee and Quinahan) rather than lose them to free agency without something in return,” the source said.
Painters co-owner Raymond Yu welcomed the “homecoming” of Yap, a native of Escalante City, Negros Occidental, and Washington.
“They have come full circle with us,” Yu said in a statement. “[We hope] they retire with the Rain or Shine franchise.”
Yap and Washington played for the Welcoat team in the now defunct Philippine Basketball League, or PBL.
Washington, who was drafted by Air21 Express in 2005, will be playing for his fourth team after previously suiting up for Katropa, San Miguel Beermen and Batang Pier.
But for the two-time PBA MVP Yap, it will be his first time to play in another team after being drafted by Hotshots — then Purefoods TJ Giants — 12 years ago.
Quinahan will be on a sort of homecoming at Batang Pier, formerly the Powerade Tigers.
The Cebuano center also played for Express, Katropa and Alaska Aces before.
Lee, who reportedly earned the ire of the Painters owners after dilly-dallying in signing a contract extension two years ago, will be playing for his second team as he enters his sixth year in the league./PN
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