‘[It’s] so easy for [Ginebra] to discard after playing them at their peak – something that’s not available to other teams’

PHOTO: JEROME ASCANO

YENG Guiao was no longer surprised when the mega-deal between Barangay Ginebra and Terrafirma went down.

“So what else is new?” said Guiao, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Just like everyone else, Guiao learned on Saturday morning that Ginebra had sent Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle to Terrafirma for Stephen Holt and Isaac Go in a trade that made the Kings’ lineup significantly younger.

The trade also included a swap of first-round picks that will have Ginebra not picking at No. 3 and Terrafirma at No. 10 in Sunday’s draft at Glorietta.

Going straight to the point, Guiao said the deal was irregular not only for the seeming haste it was approved by the PBA Commissioner’s Office but also for the ease with which Ginebra pulled off a ‘changing of the guard.’

Obviously harking back to the Blackwater-TNT trade involving Rey Nambatac which took almost a month to be cleared, Guiao said: ‘[It’s] not fair. Ang bilis ng PBA mag-decide. Other trade proposals take weeks [to be approved.”

Guiao said trading Pingle (37) and Standhardinger (35) for Holt and Go marked a ‘changing of the old guards’ for Ginebra, which he said will be infused with fresh blood in Holt, Go, and the No. 3 pick in the rookie draft.

PHOTO BY: SPIN.PH

“Holt, Go, and the third pick for CStan and Pringle is the changing of the old guards,” said Guiao. “[It’s] so easy for [Ginebra] to discard after playing them at their peak – something that’s not available to other teams.”