By Jonas Terrado
Greg Slaughter on Saturday fueled speculations about his future after announcing on his decision to take a break after playing six seasons with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
Greg Slaughter announced on Saturday that he will take a break after his three-year contract with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel expired. (PBA Images)
The 7-foot center made the announcement through social media where he reflected on the good times with the team that drafted him first overall in 2013 while intending to use his time away to improve his game.
“Six years, four championships, a lifetime of experiences and memories,” Slaughter said through his Instagram account gregslaughter. “It’s been a fun ride being with this team. I will forever be proud to have played for Ginebra, a dream of mine that came true when they drafted in 2013.”
Slaughter’s announcement came at the time when the three-year contract he signed in 2016 expired after Ginebra beat Meralco in five games to capture the PBA Governors’ Cup crown.
“Now that my contract has expired, I’ve decided to take a break to be able to work on myself in all aspects,” he said, while acknowledging the uncertain future.
“I may not know what the future holds, but one thing is for sure, the best yet to come!” he added.
Rumors have been swirling that Slaughter could be on the move, especially after struggling for most of the season that saw him average 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 0.86 blocks in 49 games.
It was a far cry from his 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.
Slaughter played an average of 22.1 minutes this season, his exposure dipping to 18.8 in the Governors’ Cup. He
Ginebra coach Tim Cone and team manager Reyboy Rodriguez were unavailable to comment if there were discussions with Slaughter prior to his social media post.