MANILA, Philippines – TNT head coach Bong Ravena bared that the KaTropa are searching for a potential backup for Jayson Castro in the 2018 PBA Rookie Draft amid trade rumors surrounding star Terrence Romeo. 

This year’s class of rookie hopefuls are headlined by guards Ray Parks, CJ Perez and Robert Bolick and TNT is looking to get Castro help.

The KaTropa, though, do not have any picks in the first round of the draft after trading their pick, which turned out to be the 8th overall, for Jericho Cruz early this year. 

“Ang [hinahanap] namin is a backup guard. Siyempre kailangan ni Jayson ng help,” Ravena said at the Draft Combine at the Hoops Center in Mandaluyong on Wednesday, December 12.

(What we are looking for is a backup guard. Of course, Jayson needs help.)

“Wala naman kaming problema sa wing, sa 2 or 3, ‘yung hinahanap namin is 1 and 5.”

(We don’t have any problems in the wing position, the 2 or 3. What we’re looking for is for the 1 and 5 positions.) 

Rumors swirled this week that Romeo, who has only been with the KaTropa since April following a trade from longtime team NorthPort, has already been included in trade talks. 

But Ravena said the high-scoring guard is still with the team and joining practice, although admitted they will talk about the matter. 

“Naririnig ko rin ‘yung about Terrence, pero wala pa kaming [masasabi tungkol doon]. We will still have a meeting very soon about that,” the 48-year-old mentor said. 

(I’ve heard of the rumors about Terrence but we still don’t have anything to say about it. We will still have a meeting very soon about that.) 

With the top guards and big men expected to get snagged in the first round, Ravena hopes to get a diamond in the rough in the latter rounds.

“Tignan muna natin, baka may mga sleeper diyan.”

(We’ll see what will happen. Maybe there are draft sleepers.)

Draft day is on Sunday, December 16, at the Robinsons Manila in Ermita. – Rappler.com