Terrafirma has dealt rising star CJ Perez to San Miguel Beer Friday in an effort to land two players in the first round of the virtual 2021 PBA Rookie Draft set March 14.
Perez, the top pick in 2019 and the rookie of the Year in 2020, was shipped to SMB in exchange for the No. 8 pick in the Draft plus players Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Russel Escoto and Gelo Alolino.
The papers had already been forwarded to the PBA Commissioner’s Office for approval.
“Yes confirmed,” Terrafirma governor and PBA board vice chairman Bobby Rosales told Manila Bulletin.
“Mahirap na desisyon yan, alam natin na magaling si CJ… but we have to complete the missing pieces on the team, and we all agreed (management and coaching staff) that the forthcoming draft is rich in talent.”
“We have the top pick, and if the PBA approves the deal, we’ll get the No. 8 pick. Because after the No. 1 pick our next turn to select is No. 25, masyadong malayo. So we’d like to get the better talent.”
If given the green light by Commissioner Willie Marcial, Perez will join a powerhouse SMB squad led by the returning six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, with Arwind Santos, Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, Alex Cabagnot and Terrence Romeo under coach Leo Austria.
Rosales said that he is still in consultation with the coaching staff led by mentor Johnedel Cardel on who to select in the Draft. But with the top pick and possibly the eighth pick, he said they would be able to create a solid unit.
Besides, he said they were able to get quality players who are relatively young in Alolino and Escoto, while Ganuelas-Rosser could serve as one of the veteran leaders of the team.
“The players naman that we’ll get kung ma-approve ng commissioner yung trade they will add value to the team,” he said.
Rosales, however, reiterated that the decision to send Perez to San Miguel is based on the deep pool of talents available on the Draft where Terrafirma could get two young players capable of helping the team next season.
That, he said, was the basis of their decision.
“Of course, if you want something of value, you have to give value too. I hope people will understand our decision. We could have sent other players, pero hindi naman pwede kung ganun ang gusto naming makuha (high pick in the draft),” said Rosales.
Perez played college ball for Lyceum of the Philippines where he won MVP honors, and following back-to-back finals stints in the NCAA, he decided to join the PBA Rookie Draft in 2018.
Columbian Dyip – now Terrefirma – selected him with the No. 1 overall pick. Following that season, he was named the league’s PBA Rookie of the year, and was voted to the Mythical First Team.
The 27-year-old Perez has led the league in scoring the past two seasons with averages of 20.8 points in his rookie campaign in 2019, and 24.4 points in the last PBA ‘bubble’ tournament.
Both times, however, his team missed the playoffs in all conferences.