Rich PBA draft coming up

With the PBA Board of Governors approving the recommendation to delay the 48th season opening to October or after the Asian Games, the annual draft will take place sometime in September. The FIBA World Cup will end Sept. 10 so the draft is likely to be held in the third or fourth week of the month.

The expectation is the coming draft will yield a bumper crop. But with the PBA taking an extended five-month break to give way to Gilas training for then playing in the FIBA World Cup, there looms the possibility of highly-touted draft prospects to test the overseas waters before deciding whether or not to apply. Under PBA rules, if a player is eligible and does not join the draft, he has the option to apply within three years through a lottery. If the player declines to apply within three years, he will be required to sit out two additional years before reacquiring eligibility to join the draft.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said he’s not against draft eligibles playing abroad and foregoing applying to join the league. If it’s for their future and the benefits are rewarding, why not? OFWs sacrifice to leave their families and home for the same reason.

Marcial noted that the sit-out rule may be revisited soon. Why penalize a draft eligible from playing abroad when he isn’t able to secure the same kind of remuneration in the PBA? And when the player decides to come home and apply for the PBA draft, why shouldn’t the league open its doors for him to join at any time? The sit-out rule seems to be a penalty or deterrent for players to stay abroad for more than three years and it goes against a basic human right to decide one’s livelihood.

Take Thirdy Ravena’s case. He’s on his third season playing in the Japanese B-League. If Ravena doesn’t apply for the draft this year, he’ll be made to sit out two more years before regaining eligibility. What if Ravena decides to leave the B-League and join the PBA after four years in Japan? Is it right for the PBA to ban him from joining until he completes a five-year sit-out?

There is another PBA rule that sets a maximum age limit of 30 for Fil-foreigners to join the draft. No age limit is stipulated for locals. Since the only way a player may join the PBA is through the draft, what if, after his NBA career is over, Jordan Clarkson decides to play in the PBA? Clarkson turns 31 on June 7 so under PBA rules, he will never be eligible to join the PBA because of the age limit. Once a Fil-foreigner turns 31, he loses eligibility to enter the PBA draft. That means Fil-Ams Caelan Tiongson of Biola University and Jason Brickman of Long Island University will never be able to suit up in the PBA because they’re now both 31. But why put an age limit for Fil-foreigners when they should enjoy the same rights and privileges as locals? Perhaps, this rule should also be revisited.

Among the rookie eligibles for the coming draft are Justine Baltazar, Ricci Rivero, Fran Yu, Will Gozum, BJ Andrade, Raffy Verano, Deschon Winston, Sedrick Barefield, King Caralipio, Luis Villegas, James Kwekuteye, Kemark Carino, Zavier Lucero, Jeremy Arthur, Lawrence Domingo, Brandon Bates, Keith Datu, Warren Bonifacio and any of the collegiate stars playing overseas like Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Kobe Paras, Dave Ildefonso, RJ Abarrientos, Justin Gutang, Rhenz Abando and Juan Gomez de Liaño.