San Miguel reportedly signs import Roberts, but team manager denies

MANILA, Philippines – An international sports website reports that the San Miguel Beermen have signed 6-foot-8 Ronald Roberts to be the team’s import for the 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, but team manager Gee Abanilla says that the franchise has yet to make a final decision. 

Sports website sportando.com indicated in an article that Roberts, 23, has already signed with the Beermen, according to their sources. 

ESPN reporter Marc Stein also tweeted early on Wednesday, January 28 (PH time), that Roberts, who’s the reigning NBA D-League Player of the Week, was on his way to the Philippines after attaining a “big-money deal,” but did not specify which team acquired him.

Hearing Ronald Roberts, ex-76er and reigning @nbadleague Player of the Week, is on the verge of being lured to Philippines on big-money deal

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) January 27, 2015

In an interview with Rappler on Wednesday afternoon, Abanilla said that the Beermen are still weighing their options on which import to bring in for the second conference. 

(RELATED: Meet the 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup imports) 

Abanilla also said that the coaching staff and team management has decided not to release information on their import search until a deal has been finalized.

San Miguel, which recently won the 2015 Philippine Cup title after defeating Alaska in seven games, opens their Commissioner’s Cup campaign against the KIA Carnival on Wednesday, February 4.

While with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA D-League, Roberts averaged 29.5 PPG, 13.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG. The Bayonne, New Jersey-native spent his college career with Saint Joseph’s, where he put up 14.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 1.3 APG in his senior campaign. 

Roberts went unselected in the 2014 NBA Draft, but played for the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Summer League. He signed with the franchise on September 29, 2014, but was waived a few weeks later on October 25.

He re-signed with Philadelphia on December 12, but was waived again three days later without playing a single minute in the NBA.

– Rappler.com