Ginebra picking third

In a sudden turn of events, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel might get the talent it wants in the first round of the Philippine Basketball Association Draft pick set Sunday.

The Gin Kings made a huge move a day before the Draft at the Glorietta in Makati after trading forward Christian Standhardinger and guard Stanley Pringle to Terrafirma in exchange for Isaac Go and Stephen Holt.

But the biggest booty Ginebra got in the trade was the inclusion of a switch in the selection order of the Draft.

Originally 10th in picks, the Gin Kings will now own the third overall selection giving Cone a chance to pluck a big man in one of the most stacked batches of aspirants in years.

Cone was vocal about his interest in adding another weapon to his frontline with Jamie Malonzo out for months due to calf injury, if not, a guard to fill in for Scottie Thompson hobbled by back issues.

Picking third will allow the 25-time PBA champion to land versatile big men Justine Baltazar, Kai Ballungay or Draft Combine Most Valuable Player Jonnel Policarpio.

Taking Baltazar, however, is a long shot as the consensus No. 1 pick is expected to join Converge which owns the first selection. Blackwater is second in the Draft order.

The league approved the trade on Saturday.

Standhardinger is moving to his fourth team since being selected as the top overall pick by San Miguel Beer in the 2017 Draft. He was traded to NorthPort in 2019 before transferring to Ginebra two years later.

In an Instagram post, Standhardinger expressed gratitude to the franchise where he won two titles, a Finals MVP in the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup and a Best Player of the Conference in last year’s Governors’ Cup.

“I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible support and love you’ve shown me throughout my time with Barangay Ginebra,” he wrote in the caption of his IG post of Ginebra’s championship photo.

“Being part of this team has been a truly unforgettable journey, and I’m grateful for every cheer, every chant, and every moment of encouragement.”

Pringle, on the other hand, is joining his third club. He was the No. 1 overall pick of GlobalPort in the 2014 Draft and was traded to the Gin Kings in 2019.

The arrival of the 28-year-old forward Go and 32-year-old Holt, the Rookie of the Year frontrunner, significantly gave Ginebra a younger roster joining sophomore Ralph Cu, who was impressive in his rookie year.

The Dyip in exchange will have experienced players albeit already having a lot of mileage. Aside from Holt and Go, Terrafirma already lost Javi Gomez De Liano after signing with a club in the Korea Basketball League.