FILE – Alab Pilipinas guard Jason Brickman. ABL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The seven Filipino-foreign players who failed to submit their requirements for the 2021 PBA Draft can still be part of the league in one capacity and another.
Reports suggested that Jason Brickman, Taylor Statham, Jeremiah Gray, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Tyrus Hill, John Paul Gulfo, and Christopher Cancio failed to secure their Draft requirements from the Bureau of Immigration and Department of Justice.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said that the seven players can play in the PBA’s 3×3 tournament and all they need to do is for teams to directly hire them for the competition.
“For this year, they won’t be able to join the Draft but they can play in the 3×3,” said Marcial in an interview with Inquirer. “They just have to be directly hired by the teams.”
Since this will be the inaugural season for the 3×3 tournament, teams need not draft players and are instead allowed to hire to fill their squads.
The said players failed to submit the proper documents before the 5 pm March 5 deadline, leaving them off the Draft list as the papers must be processed in person—something the Filipino-foreign players could not do due to travel difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marcial added that if Brickman oet al can still secure the proper documents then they can enter the 2021 Draft.
“Next year they can apply,” said Marcial.