A lot of things happened in the MPBL Datu Cup even before the start of the trading period and dispersal draft for free agents.
On Monday, the MPBL Commissioner’s Office approved the player movements that happened both in the dispersal draft and via separate trades.
Headlining the player movements were ex-pros Jerwin Gaco and Jai Reyes.
Gaco, who won multiple championships in the PBA as a member of the old Purefoods franchise, was released by his former team, Imus Bandera-GLC Truck and Equipment and was picked up by the Pasig Pirates.
Pasig, which was lined up to select first in the dispersal draft owing to its tournament-worst record, grabbed the 6'4” forward from La Salle.
Next on the line to pick was Cebu, which exercised its rights selecting Edrian Lao from the Davao Occidental Tigers.
Picking third in the order was Caloocan, which acquired Reyes, but traded the spitfire guard immediately to the Navotas Clutch for hardworking guard Monbert Arong.
But Rizal surprisingly passed up on the opportunity of getting quality players from the free agent list and head coach Braulio Lim explained the rationale about this.
“Due to budget constraints, we would like to look first who among our players from the dispersal draft who will be picked. Para alam rin naming 'yung idadagdag namin,” added Lim.
Days before the trading period, teams had already started negotiations and Pampanga of Congressman Dong Gonzales was the most active on the table.
The Lanterns did not only go after quality players, they also started picking the right man to call the shots for the team. They acquired Aldrin Morante, who led the Muntinlupa Cagers-Angelis Resort to a perfect 7-0 start in the ongoing tournament and piloted the squad to the championship round in the inaugural staging of the fastest growing regional amateur basketball league.
Joining Morante in the coaching staff is Bong dela Cruz, who previously worked with him in Muntinlupa.
The Lanterns also acquired the services of ex-pros Levi Hernandez and Pari Llagas in separate deals with the Navotas and Muntinlupa, respectively.
Hernandez, a 6'2” swingman, was shipped to his hometown Pampanga in exchange for burly frontliner Marlon Gomez.
Llagas, a key figure in the Cagers’ championship run last season, was traded to the Lanterns for young frontliner Daniel de Guzman.