Dyip official defends decision to send Perez to Beermen

CJ Perez (No. 7) is being shipped to San Miguel Beer in exchange for three players, including big man Russel Escoto (left), and the Beermen’s first-round pick in this year’s Rookie Draft. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PBA IMAGES

Terrafirma’s plans to ship star youngster CJ Perez to San Miguel Beer (SMB) is reaping a lot of negative feedback online. But a team official is adamant in the belief that the swap will benefit the Dyip in the long term.

“It’s really difficult to let go of CJ, but we saw it as a chance—which what everybody is saying—[to acquire] some missing pieces [for] our team,” Bobby Rosales, the Dyip’s governor, told the Inquirer over the phone, adding that Terrafirma’s roster holes have been exposed “in the past tournaments.”

Rosales said the missing pieces will come not only from the three players the Beermen are sending to the Dyip, but from the first-rounder San Miguel threw in to sweeten the deal.

“Because of the richness of this [rookie] pool, we saw a chance to get more talent and bring in those ‘missing pieces,’” he added.

San Miguel’s pick (No. 8) gives Terrafirma two first-round picks, including its own No. 1 selection. This year’s Rookie Draft is said to be one of the most loaded in league history, with sterling standouts from the country’s 3×3 scene throwing their names into the selection pool.

“Terrafirma has the first pick, but we have none in the second round. The second-round pick is just as important as your first-round pick,” Rosales added.

“If we have just one pick … the next chance will still be at the 25th—in the third round. That means there are 24 other players who will be turned over to teams. We’d like to get the better part of the talent—which we believe will be in the top 12,” the team executive added.

“San Miguel’s pick is on the eighth spot. So we believe that we’ll have a better chance of [doing so] if we have two first-round picks. “

Under league rules, any trade needs approval from the league before it is finalized.

Perez was a No. 1 pick also for the Dyip’s franchise, providing instant production across statistical categories since he was drafted in 2018. The athletic swingman went on to win the league’s top rookie plum in 2019—the same year he suited up for the Gilas Pilipinas squad that competed in the Basketball World Cup in China.

He averaged 24.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2 steals during the recent Philippine Cup bubble tournament in Clark Freeport, and even wound up as a contender for the Best Player of the Conference award.

Terrafirma is no stranger to controversies surrounding decisions made by its basketball front office. In 2017, the franchise dealt its No. 1 pick—which turned out to be workhorse Christian Standhardinger—to San Miguel Beer also. The Dyip are expected to draft Joshua Munzon, a 6-foot-4 forward who shares the same position as Perez, with the No. 1 pick this year.

That would put Munzon beside Roosevelt Adams up front for the Dyip, a young and athletic front line that could get another boost with the No. 8 pick.

Also in the draft pool is former La Salle forward Jamie Malonzo, a 24-year-old leaper who averaged close to 16 points and 10 rebounds a game for the Green Archers in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Malonzo, however, is expected to also go early, but Terrafirma will have a lot of talent to pick from at No. 8. Among the expected first-rounders are guard Jason Brickman, who once led the US National Collegiate Athletic Association in assists; Mikey Williams, a Fil-Am guard who averaged close to 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds a game in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League; 6-foot-5 swingman Jeremiah Gray, who had a stint with San Miguel Beer-Alab in the Asean Basketball League (ABL); Ganuelas-Rosser’s brother Brandon, a 6-foot-5 forward who also had a stint in the ABL; and collegiate standouts point guard Jerrick Ahanmisi of Adamson, La Salle stretch big Santi Santillan and Letran banger Larry Muyang.

The Philippine Basketball Association has since formed a five-man committee to oversee trades and ensure parity among its 12 member teams. The team consists of deputy commissioner Eric Castro, technical officials Joey Guanio, Roscelle Teotico, Mauro Bengua, and legal counsel Melvin Mendoza.

Rosales said the draft depth adds a lot of value to the San Miguel pick and getting a defensive veteran like Ganuelas-Rosser and serviceable talents like Gelo Alolino and Russel Escoto spikes that value.

“When we asked the coaching staff to review the lineup, they said we need a natural point guard. And there’s Alolino in San Miguel,” said Rosales. “We also have to look at what’s plausible. We cannot also dream, and just get this player or that.”

“In other words, if you want something of value, then you have to get something of value,” he added. “I just acted based on the [recommendation] of the [coaches].”