The PBA will be lifting the moratorium on trades on January 4, a move that is expected to spark a flurry of moves by teams which hardly changed their lineups prior to the bubble season of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That should also heighten speculation on a number of trades that fans have been eagerly awaiting for years.
Here are some of them:
Greg Slaughter
Most fans felt the decision of Slaughter to take a leave early this year had something to do with trade rumors that surrounded him prior to his sabbatical. Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone already denied that there are negotiations for a possible Slaughter trade, particularly to NorthPort for Christian Standhardinger, last February. Later, the seven-footer apologized to team management for any misunderstanding that occurred in the fallout of his decision to take a break. All signs are pointing to Slaughter returning to Ginebra next season, but that hasn't stopped fans from speculating that the long-rumored trade could still happen. The way Ginebra team governors Alfrancis Chua reacted to the Slaughter apology, guess we'll never know what will happen next.
CJ Perez
In just his rookie year with Columbian/ Terrafirma, the prodigious guard was already rumored to be headed to powerhouse San Miguel one day. Even when the Beermen kept on winning and Perez settled down at Terrafirma, fans still expected the 2019 Rookie of the Year to be in an SMB jersey sooner rather than later. After a lull, those have come back to lif again, at least from the fans’ standpoint, when head coach Leo Austria said the Beermen’s 'ageing' lineup is due for a revamp. As they say, abangan!
Christian Standhardinger
When San Miguel dealt Standhardinger to NorthPort early last season, some fans were convinced the Munich-born cager would not stay with the Batang Pier for long. Based on the rumors, Standhardinger is headed to either Magnolia to team up with Ian Sangalang on a powerhouse frontline - or to Barangay Ginebra as part of a trade for Greg Slaughter. Standhardinger has since won the 2019 Governors’ Cup Best Player of the Conference award for NorthPort, and even played for the Batang Pier during the recent bubble with no deal occurring. Even team owner Mikee Romero assured Standhardinger will not go anywhere as he is the face of the franchise. But some fans remain unconvinced.
Calvin Abueva
Even in the middle of an unprecedented suspension, Abueva remained a subject of persistent rumors of a supposed move from Phoenix Super LPG to a team in the San Miguel Corp. wing. Abueva’s ban has since been lifted, and he was able to play in the bubble and make up for lost time to help the Fuel Masters reach the semifinal. Phoenix has also recently signed Abueva to a three-year contract following his fine play that led to a nomination for a Best Player of the Conference award in the bubble. Can we expect the rumors to die down now? Hardly.