MANILA – The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) trade committee has approved a blockbuster trade sending Christian Standhardinger to Ginebra from NorthPort for Greg Slaughter.
The committee announced the swap on Friday, although the group actually gave the go signal to the deal on Thursday.
Standhardinger will bolster a solid Barangay frontline led by Japeth Aguilar and Most Improved Player Prince Caperal.
Slaughter, on the other hand, will reunite with former Ginebra players Jervy Cruz and Kevin Ferrer, among others, at the Batang Pier camp.
The trade, however, was somehow a long time coming.
Rumors regarding the Slaughter-Standhardinger swap have spread among PBA fans since last year.
Many believed the said rumors led to Slaughter's shock decision not to join Ginebra last season.
Slaughter, however, was hardly missed as the Barangay captured the 2020 PBA title even if there were concerns on the health condition of LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar prior to the start of the bubble.
And it seemed like Slaughter is ready to return as he apologized to Ginebra's team management which they accepted to the point that Coach Tim Cone said that the team just re-signed the center to a new contract.
But the swap happened.
"It has been a tremendous six years with Barangay Ginebra. Although I am saddened to know that my journey with them has officially come to an end, from the first pick in the draft to all star and multiple championships, I will always look back fondly at the time I spent there," Slaughter said in an Instagram post later in the day.
Regarding his new stint with NorthPort, he said, "I am truly excited for this new adventure and for the next chapter in my story to begin. I still have my best basketball ahead of me. I have so much left to give the game and just as blessed as ever to play the game I love in front of all the fans who have been with me through it all, no matter what jersey I wear."
Slaughter then thanked the San Miguel Corporation's higher-ups, president Ramon Ang, sports director and Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua, his Ginebra coaches and teammates, and the fans for the support during his time with the team that drafted him first overall in 2013. (PNA)
