MANILA – The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has prevented teams from negotiating trades and signing free agents or new players while its Season 45 is suspended indefinitely due to the enhanced community quarantine caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said in a statement that the ban was agreed by the PBA Board of Governors during an online meeting last weekend.
“There will be no transactions while the PBA is on break due to COVID-19 crisis. There will be no trades, no signing of free agent players and no signing of new players,” he said. The only thing not covered by the ban is for teams to re-sign their players whose contracts are expiring. “The contracts of the players which are set to expire will remain with their respective ball clubs,” Marcial said. “Teams can sign them to a new contract but can also do so five days from the start of official practice.”
Negrense James Yap of Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Chris Ross of San Miguel Beermen, Kevin Alas of NLEX Road Warriors, Sean Anthony of NorthPort Batang Pier, and Ryan Reyes of Talk ‘N Text Ka Tropa are the highlighted ballers whose contracts are set to end in July. It is also the same for Alaska Aces’ Joachim Thoss and Jvee Casio, along with Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome and Baser Amer.
Cagers whose contracts will expire in August, on the other hand, are Andy Mark Barroca and Jean Marc Pingris of Magnolia Hotshots, Pedrito Galanza of the Road Warriors and Ryan Roose Garcia of Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters.
Marcial said earlier that the PBA Board has an August deadline to determine if the league will salvage at least the Philippine Cup or will cancel the entire season instead./PN
