KJ McDaniels will be staying with Meralco when it competes in the Governors' Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association.
Bolts team manager Paolo Trillo yesterday told Daily Tribune that they will be sticking with the hardworking American despite their early exit in the ongoing Commissioner's Cup.
Tapped to replace the ineffective former National Basketball Association standout Johnny O'Bryant, McDaniels displayed solid all-around production of 27.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.2 blocks per game in his five games with the Bolts.
His finest performance came in a 92-89 triumph over top seed Bay Area in which he pumped in 31 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
All in all, he led the Bolts to a 3-2 win-loss card, but it wasn't enough as they absorbed back-to-back losses, including a heartbreaking 81-92 decision to NLEX that booted them out of the playoffs.
Still, the Bolts are planning to bring him back for the season-ending tourney, where the height limit of reinforcements is pegged at 6-foot-6.
"He's going to stay with us until the Governors' Cup," Trillo said in an exclusive interview.
"At least, we already have somebody who has been playing with us and we will be ready for the next conference as we already have someone who is familiar with the PBA style of play."
It was the first time for McDaniels to fail to lead his team to the playoffs in his three tours of duty in the country.
His first stint was when he led TNT Tropang Giga to a championship run in the 2019 Governors' Cup. Then, he suited up for the Road Warriors, leading them to the second-best record in the 2020 Governors' Cup to grab a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs.
But McDaniels failed to finish the job as he had to rush back to the United States to attend to some pressing family matters.
With Meralco bringing him back, he gets a fresh start and a chance to redeem himself in his pet conference — the Governors' Cup.
