Jaypee Mendoza will be part of Phoenix's reserve list for the meantime. Mike Romero (file photo) |
By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA--When the official lineups for the PBA Philippine Cup were released on Friday, the name of hardworking forward Jaypee Mendoza was not listed in Alaska's roster.
As it turned out, he was sent to Phoenix.
The Fuel Masters acquired Mendoza, known for his lockdown defense, from the Aces in a trade approved by the league hours after the release of the official roster.
In exchange, Alaska took Phoenix's 2019 second round pick.
Barring last-minute adjustments, Mendoza is expected to be part of the Fuel Masters' free agent list, but once activated, he will be of a big boost defensively to the lineup of Coach Louie Alas.
The former Letran coach actually activated two former Knights for his Philippine Cup lineup, bruiser Jam Cortes and former slam dunk champion Rey Guevarra.
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