ROS looking for trades for No. 7 pick, says source

PHOTO: SGA

IS Rain or Shine having problems signing Caelan Tiongson?

Sources told SPIN.ph the PBA independent team is open to trading the signing rights to the hard-banging 32-year old Fil-Am forward if he refuses to sign the maximum rookie contract tendered by Rain or Shine.

Although two parties have yet to sit down since Tiongson is still in Taiwan for Strong Group’s Jones Cup campaign, sources bared the No. 7 pick of Sunday’s PBA Season 49 Draft has yet to respond to the team’s offer of a three-year contract under the league’s maximum for rookies.

“Wala pa namang direct statement from him (Tiongson) na he is not signing with us. Pero dahil hindi pa malinaw ang usapan, we made sure to offer him a contract na fair for him and fair for his talent,” said a Rain or Shine source.

“It’s a three-year contract. So, him being 32 already, we feel na it’s reasonable,” added the source.

But another person privy to the development told SPIN.ph that Rain or Shine has already approached NLEX for a possible trade for Tiongson, with the Elasto Painters asking for the Road Warriors’ No. 6 pick Jonnel Policarpio.

Rain or Shine is willing to add another piece to the proposal to make it enticing for the Road Warriors, the source added.

Apart from NLEX, another team interested in Tiongson is the Meralco Bolts.

It will be recalled that Tiongson was expected to be selected by Barangay Ginebra with the No. 3 pick it obtained from Terrafirma in the Standhardinger trade, only for coach Tim Cone to pull off a Draft Day surprise by choosing RJ Abarrientos.

Curiously, NorthPort also passed up on Tiongson, picking Dave Ildefonso instead at No. 5.

With an agreement hanging, Rain or Shine has protected itself by making a tender offer to Tiongson which it submitted to the PBA Commissioner’s Office, ensuring it keeps the signing rights on the former ABL player.

Under PBA rules, teams must give tender offers to their draftees until Monday to keep the signing rights. Otherwise the draftees automatically turn into free agents.

Except for Tiongson, Rain or Shine has wrapped up business with its draftees.

No. 8 pick Felix Lemetti was signed to a three-year rookie contract, former La Salle forward Francis Escandor was given a one-year deal while No. 20 pick Miggy Corteza was traded to Blackwater for a future second-round pick.

No. 16 pick Mike Malonzo will be playing out his MPBL contract while third-round pick Darwish Bederi has been released.