RAIN or Shine coach Yeng Guiao and management are taking the word of Paul Lee’s manager with a grain of salt.
“Our relationship with Paul is like family. He has been very close to everyone, including the team owners,” Guiao told the Inquirer over the phone yesterday, a couple of hours after news of Lee’s wish to be traded surfaced through a text message coming from the cager’s manager, Lawrence Chongson.
“Unless he tells that to us face-to-face, we will not believe his manager,” Guiao said. “We want to talk to Paul personally and for him to tell us of his wish, if true, because we have been a closely knit group and we are offering him the maximum (salary).
“That is what’s bugging us (the RoS team), because we have already offered him the maximum, at least legally. And we know that he loves being in this team,” Guiao said.
“Ano ba ang diperensya ng maximum ng team namin sa maximum ng iba?”
Chongson texted several members of media yesterday to announce Lee’s wish to be traded to another team, which came almost a month after Rain or Shine presented a fresh three-year pact worth the maximum of P420,000 a month to the player’s camp.
Lee, the former Rookie of the Year, is in Spain with Gilas Pilipinas and cannot be reached for comment.
Guiao also said that should Lee confirm his manager’s words, the Elasto Painters would be willing to let him go, provided they can strike a deal with an interested team that will be acceptable to Rain or Shine.
“A franchise player for a franchise player,” Guiao emphasized over the phone.
Lee and the Painters have already won one championship together and finished second twice the last season behind Grand Slam champion San Mig Coffee.