MANILA – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings and TNT Tropang GIGA shored up its roster ahead of the 2021 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Cup this April with their respective free agent pickups.
Kings head coach Tim Cone announced on Monday afternoon their acquisition of guard Mer Jesper Ayaay, who was left unsigned by his previous team Alaska Aces.
“We welcome newly signed MJ Ayaay to the Ginebra Family! We’re looking forward to pairing him with (Kings guard Earl) Scottie (Thompson) in the backcourt,” the many-time PBA champion coach said.
The 6-foot-1 Ayaay, was selected ninth by the Aces in the 2018 PBA Rookie Draft, averaged 2.64 points, 2.27 rebounds and 0.64 assists per game in 11 appearances for the Aces last season.
Ayaay, a former player of Lyceum of the Philippines Pirates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, was one of the three players not renewed by the Aces aside from center Yutien Andrada and guard Abel Gallinguez.
The Tropang GIGA, meanwhile, also made their free agent move by signing up forward Glenn Khobuntin to a one-year deal after being left to the free agent market by Terrafirma Dyip.
The GIGA team manager Gabby Cui confirmed the signing of former National University Bulldogs big man, who will reunite with college teammate Jeth Troy Rosario and Rodolfo Alejandro.
The arrival of the 6-foot-4 Khobuntin, who was part of the Bulldogs team that won the University Athletic Association of the Philippines championship in 2014, is also an added boost to Tropang GIGA frontline rotation following the recent retirement of veteran forward Harvey Carey.
Khobuntin, who was drafted by NLEX Road Warriors in 2015 before being traded to Dyip two years into his PBA career, averaged 7.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per outing last season with the Dyip.
Meanwhile, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters dropped to unrestricted free agents list guards Kris Rosales and Ryan Araña, who is considering to retire after 13 PBA seasons./PN
