MANILA – Coach Yeng Guiao admitted on Thursday that at the moment, the chance that NLEX will acquire Vic Manuel from Alaska through a trade is small.
"Baka 'yung gusto nila sa amin 'di naman namin kayang ibigay, di wala ring mangyayari (Maybe we cannot give to them what they want from us, so it is for naught)," Guiao said.
Manuel recently requested to Aces coach Jeffrey Cariaso that he wants to be traded.
The six-foot-four forward then confirmed that he listed the Road Warriors among his preferred trade destinations along with the San Miguel Beermen and the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
Manuel said he desires to join NLEX because he wants to be coached by Guiao, even admitting that during the 2012 Philippine Basketball Association Draft, he wished to be drafted by Guiao's former team, Rain Or Shine.
"Noong nagpa-draft ako, parang gusto ko mapunta dati sa Rain Or Shine talaga eh kasi gusto ko kay (When I declared for the draft, I felt that I want to go before to Rain Or Shine because I like) Coach Yeng," Manuel said.
The Elasto Painters, who had the seventh overall pick that time, skipped Manuel and chose Chris Tiu instead.
Manuel ended up with the Magnolia Hotshots, then known as the B-Meg Llamados, as the ninth overall pick only to be traded to the GlobalPort, now NorthPort, Batang Pier after the draft.
After a journeyman rookie campaign, he found a home with Alaska when he was traded there during the middle of the 2013-14 season, helping the team enter the finals five times.
However, after what seemed a like a fallout in early contract negotiations, Manuel eventually decided to want out from the Aces.
Meanwhile, Guiao's remark somehow echoed what Manuel's handler, Danny Espiritu, said upon analyzing a potential NLEX-Alaska swap.
Espiritu said the Aces will surely look to demand a high-profile Road Warrior in exchange for Manuel, which NLEX may not do so.
"Hindi matutuloy yan kahit saan mong tignan (It will not push through by all means)," Espiritu said. "Malaking asset pa rin iyang si Vic Manuel, pero (Vic Manuel remains a big asset, but) I don't want to give up somebody who will also be a big contributor to our cause.”
However, he clarified that he is not ruling the Warriors-Aces deal out yet.
"Sino ba naman ang may ayaw kay (Who does not want) Vic Manuel?" Guiao said.
However, he added, "We will open our doors, but we will not come forward and make a proposal. They have to initiate it." (PNA)
