MANILA – Blackwater Elite retracted its earlier plan to trade incoming rookie Bobby Ray Parks Jr. and has offer him a three-year, maximum rookie contract worth P10.4 million.
Elite team owner Dioceldo Sy said the team has no plans to trade the former two-time UAAP MVP and is eyeing at a long-term commitment with the 6-foot-4 guard/forward.
“We have no plans to trade Ray-ray,” Sy said. “We are offering him a three-year contract. If for some reason things won’t work out with Ray-ray, then we’ll study what options available.”
“But we are not looking at that possibility as of now. We’re looking at a long-term relationship with Ray-ray and making our team a championship contender with him,” he added.
Last week, Parks was a center of trade rumors as he is reportedly to be shipped to the Meralco Bolts in exchange of Baser Amer moving to TNT KaTropa and Jericho Cruz and Brian Heruela going to the Elite.
Aside from Parks, the Elite is also set to offer contracts to incoming rookies Andres Paul Desiderio and Abu Tratter once their move to the Blackwater was formalized in a trade with the NLEX Road Warriors.
Desiderio and Tratter will get P100,000 per month during their rookie year, before getting a rate of P150,000 a month on their second season. Already signed by Elite was second rounder Diego Dario, who will receive P70, 000 a month in his one-year deal.
“I’m happy and confident with this young team,” Sy said. “We still have enough veterans to guide our young players. The important thing is they will complement one another for the desired chemistry.”
Among the veterans, the Elite has recently signed center James Sena and forwards Raphael Banal and Emil Renz Palma to one-year contract extensions./PN
