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| Carl Cruz (with ball) is the first Gilas player who declared for the draft, but Mac Belo (left) is expected to be a lock for Gilas' FIBA World Cup lineup. PBA (file photo) |
By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA--The PBA has decided to extend the deadline for application for the Oct. 30 draft as the league is still finalizing talks with the SBP for a special draft for Gilas 5.0.
With a memorandum of agreement between the top-tier league and the country's top basketball organization still being drafted as of Thursday, a day before the original deadline for aspiring players to apply for the draft, the PBA opted to extend the application period until Wednesday, giving draft applicants five more days to formalize their decision to declare for the draft.
SBP president Al Panlilio said that the 12-man Gilas roster being groomed to play for the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers is not yet finalized, stalling the national sports association and the PBA from agreeing in terms.
So far, only former FEU Tamaraw and Cafe France-CEU Baker Carl Cruz made his intent of joining the PBA Draft among the Gilas roster who played for the FIBA Asia Challenge, but on which draft he will end up depends on whether he gets called up again for national team duties or not.
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