INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines—Jason Castro has gotten out of his commitment with the Singapore Slingers and will have no other obligations when he starts his professional career with Talk ‘N Text in time for the 34th Philippine Basketball Association season next month.

Talk ‘N Text board representative Ricky Vargas confirmed this development yesterday as they await the arrival of the 5-foot-10 Castro tomorrow from Malaysia, where the former PBL MVP will play his last game with the Slingers.

Castro, chosen third overall in the recent Draft, will get the maximum salary and contract length allowed rookies. Talk ‘N Text picks Rob Reyes and No. 2 choice Jared Dillinger got similar deals.

Dillinger, Castro and Reyes inked P8.7 million, three-year pacts which would pay them P150,000 a month this year, P227,500 next season and the maximum of P350,000 in the third.

Of the rookies taken in by the Phone Pals, only Pong Escobal’s deal is still under negotiation even as the team waived Khalani Ferreria, shipped out Jay Washington to San Miguel and put Donbel Belano on the injured list.

For a while, it looked like Castro would not be able to join the Phone Pals in time for the Oct. 4 opening of the Philippine Cup since his contract with the Slingers runs until November.

But Castro, according to Vargas, negotiated with management and was allowed to cut short his contract provided that he played in a tournament which is currently being held in Malaysia and will end Saturday.

Among the rookies signed up by the Phone Pals, Castro is the proven winner, having led his teams to championships in different levels— Philippine Christian in the NCAA and Harbour Centre in the PBL. Castro is a three-time PBL MVP.

His arrival at Talk ‘N Text also gave the Phone Pals a formidable backcourt like what Rain or Shine now has in Gabe Norwood and Solomon Mercado.

In developments at Alaska, the Aces on Friday signed veteran second-string center Ervin Sotto to a one-year deal worth in the vicinity of P100,000 a month. Sotto, a 6-foot-6 beanpole seen as a back-up to Sonny Thoss, played for the Fiesta Cup runner-up Air21 crew last season.

Team manager and current board chair Joaqui Trillo also said that the Aces are satisfied with what they currently have, after getting Joe Devance from Rain Or Shine during Draft Day.

Alaska, according to Trillo, is just waiting for the current NCAA season to end so the team could start negotiating with Kelvin Dela Peña, the former league MVP with Mapua who was picked 15th overall in the last Draft.