MANILA -- The number one pick in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Draft will not become available for trade starting next year.
"Napag-usapan na yun ng board (This has been discussed by the board)," Commissioner Willie Marcial said in a statement posted in the PBA website on Friday.
It was also revealed in the statement that the PBA board approved the proposal without any opposition.
The decision came on the heels of the controversial Columbian Dyip-San Miguel trade that was approved by former commissioner Chito Narvasa last year.
The swap saw the Dyip giving up their number one pick, which turned out to be Chris Standhardinger, to the Beermen in exchange for the latter's 2019 first rounder, Ronald Tubid, Jay-R Reyes, and Rashawn McCarthy.
Despite McCarthy finally getting his groove, Columbian remained a moribund squad this season and is likely to take the number one pick again this year.
While this year's top pick can still be a part of a trade package as the new ruling will only take effect in the 2019 draft, Marcial assured that a swap similar to the Dyip-Beermen deal last year will not happen again.
"Lahat naman ng trade, kailangang dumaan sa committee. Basta dumaan sa committee, tiwala naman tayo na patas yun (All trade need to go through the committee. We trust that it is fair)," Marcial said, pertaining to the group consisting of the league's legal counsel Melvin Mendoza, technical and operations head Eric Castro, and technical team members Junior Bengua and Roscelle Teotico. (PNA)
