 |
| In a move seven years in the making, Christian Standhardinger is finally Terrafirma-bound. Dennis Acosta (file photo) |
MANILA--PBA fans woke up on a Saturday morning to a blockbuster trade involving Terrafirma and Ginebra.
In a shocker of a swap on the eve of the league's annual draft, Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle are heading to the Dyip in exchange for Rookie of the Year frontrunner Stephen Holt and Isaac Go.
The trade will also have a huge impact on the draft itself as both teams agreed on a pick swap that will now see the Gin Kings moving to the third overall pick and the Dyip taking the 10th pick.
The trade was a realization of what was supposed to happen in 2017 in Standhardinger's case.
Terrafirma, then known as Kia, previously owned the right to the number one pick of that year's draft, which gave them an outright chance to go ahead and select the six-foot-eight bruiser.
However, in a trade that shocked and eventually drew ire from the fans, the team gave up the pick to San Miguel in exchange for Jay-R Reyes, Ronald Tubid, and Rashawn McCarthy, who have all since left the PBA as players, leading to SMB nabbing Standhardinger instead.
The Terrafirma franchise also acquired SMB's 2019 first-round pick, which turned out to be Christian Balagasay, who eventually joined NorthPort.
The trade, which was deemed lopsided by fans, led to calls for then commissioner Chito Narvasa to resign, which he eventually did just to end an impasse within the PBA board with Willie Marcial taking over the commissioner's role afterward.
The Dyip now have some veteran help to further contend following a breakthrough quarterfinal appearance last Philippine Cup.
The Gin Kings, on the other hand, took two players who could be compliments in coach Tim Cone's triangle offense system, not to mention Holt somehow alleviating the void left by Scottie Thompson as he remains questionable for the upcoming PBA Governors' Cup.
Ginebra also gets a chance to pick early into a loaded PBA Draft class as speculations continue to arise if it is setting its sights on current Strong Group Athletics forward Caelan Tiongson.
Although dropping seven picks later in the first round, Terrafirma still has a chance to get a solid player at number 10.
Follow him on X: @IvanSaldajeno
.jpg)
