The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) season is not yet certain because of the coronavirus, but during this period, the Meralco Bolts is contemplating on making some big moves. Their roster is almost stacked with players who can contribute. They like all of their players. Most of them have defined roles.
The Bolts has filled up their 15-man roster by signing rookies Aaron Black and Mike Canete to one year deals. However, with only Raymond Almazan capable of protecting the shaded lane, possibilities must be explored, especially with notable names still doesn't have any teams yet and these are intriguing players.
Let us look at some of them.
Greg Slaughter
Big man Greg Slaughter of Barangay Ginebra should be the top priority for the Bolts. He had some issues with his former team, which the 7-foot center claimed didn't offer him a new contract when his old deal expired last 31 January 2020 and he expressed interest in playing with the Bolts before. Ginebra management though, maintained an offer had already been submitted to the PBA office four days before the 30-day grace period expires. Officially, the PBA has ruled that Ginebra continues to hold the signing rights to the seven-footer.
Meralco could pry him from Ginebra by offering a trade. On who should be involved? That is another big question, but it would not make sense if they part ways with promising back court tandem of Baser Amer and Chris Newsome or veterans Ciff Hodge and Almazan just to acquire the big man.
Slaughter had a season average of 19.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 2015-16 and 13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.9 blocks during the 2017 Governors’ Cup, the same conference that saw him win the Best Player of the Conference award. However, his exposure dipped since then. Last season, he averaged 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 0.86 blocks in 49 games.
Yousef Taha
The 31-year old center has mostly been on the move in his PBA career.
As a rookie, Yousef Taha was traded in the middle of his first conference to Ginebra in a deal involving Mike Cortez. And right before his third conference, he was shipped to GlobalPort. Taha spent the two years with the Purefoods franchise, winning his lone championship in a backup role before moving back to GlobalPort and TnT.
The 6-foot-7 Taha was part of the recently complicated three-team trade that land Poy Erram to TnT Katropa. The Filipino-Palestinian still has a live contract which Blackwater assumed from NLEX, but was not included by the Elite in their current 15-man lineup.
Taha, who only appeared in four games last conference, put up averages of 0.75 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks.
Joseph Eriobu
The 6-foot-4 bruiser out of Mapua, was drafted in the second round in the 2016 PBA Draft and suited up for Mahindra and Phoenix in his first two seasons before he, together with Gelo Alolino, was traded to Blackwater for Nard Pinto prior to the 2019 season.
The 27-year old Joseph Eriobu only suited up for seven games for the Elite, averaging 4.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in his 9.3 minutes back in the 2019 Philippine Cup. However, the Fil-Nigerian saw limited minutes after that until his contract expired on October 2019.
With no PBA takers, Erioubu decided to take his talents to the Hong Kong Eastern in the ABL.
The Bolts has filled up their 15-man roster by signing rookies Aaron Black and Mike Canete to one year deals. However, with only Raymond Almazan capable of protecting the shaded lane, possibilities must be explored, especially with notable names still doesn't have any teams yet and these are intriguing players.
Let us look at some of them.
Greg Slaughter
Big man Greg Slaughter of Barangay Ginebra should be the top priority for the Bolts. He had some issues with his former team, which the 7-foot center claimed didn't offer him a new contract when his old deal expired last 31 January 2020 and he expressed interest in playing with the Bolts before. Ginebra management though, maintained an offer had already been submitted to the PBA office four days before the 30-day grace period expires. Officially, the PBA has ruled that Ginebra continues to hold the signing rights to the seven-footer.
Meralco could pry him from Ginebra by offering a trade. On who should be involved? That is another big question, but it would not make sense if they part ways with promising back court tandem of Baser Amer and Chris Newsome or veterans Ciff Hodge and Almazan just to acquire the big man.
Slaughter had a season average of 19.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 2015-16 and 13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.9 blocks during the 2017 Governors’ Cup, the same conference that saw him win the Best Player of the Conference award. However, his exposure dipped since then. Last season, he averaged 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 0.86 blocks in 49 games.
Yousef Taha
The 31-year old center has mostly been on the move in his PBA career.
As a rookie, Yousef Taha was traded in the middle of his first conference to Ginebra in a deal involving Mike Cortez. And right before his third conference, he was shipped to GlobalPort. Taha spent the two years with the Purefoods franchise, winning his lone championship in a backup role before moving back to GlobalPort and TnT.
The 6-foot-7 Taha was part of the recently complicated three-team trade that land Poy Erram to TnT Katropa. The Filipino-Palestinian still has a live contract which Blackwater assumed from NLEX, but was not included by the Elite in their current 15-man lineup.
Taha, who only appeared in four games last conference, put up averages of 0.75 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks.
Joseph Eriobu
The 6-foot-4 bruiser out of Mapua, was drafted in the second round in the 2016 PBA Draft and suited up for Mahindra and Phoenix in his first two seasons before he, together with Gelo Alolino, was traded to Blackwater for Nard Pinto prior to the 2019 season.
The 27-year old Joseph Eriobu only suited up for seven games for the Elite, averaging 4.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in his 9.3 minutes back in the 2019 Philippine Cup. However, the Fil-Nigerian saw limited minutes after that until his contract expired on October 2019.
With no PBA takers, Erioubu decided to take his talents to the Hong Kong Eastern in the ABL.
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