Due diligence

Pureblends Corporation won’t be barging into the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as a pushover team.

In fact, it has enough materials to be competitive once the food manufacturing company completes its acquisition of the NorthPort franchise.

Although still waiting for the PBA Board of Governors’ stamp of approval to make the purchase official pending the recommendations of the league’s review committee, Pureblends is looking at a squad filled with veterans and up-and-coming stars.

Unlike other expansion teams, which have to build their lineups from the ground up, the Bryann Calantoc-owned Pureblends will inherit a Batang Pier squad that still has grizzled veterans Calvin Abueva, Joshua Munzon, Cade Flores, Evan Nelle, Fran Yu and James Kwekuetye under contract.

Pureblends can also negotiate new deals to retain Jio Jalalon, Jerrick Balanza, Sidney Onwubere, Damie Cuntapay and Avan Nava, whose contracts are expiring.

NorthPort still holds the signing rights to former Best Player of the Conference winner Arvin Tolentino and Dave Ildefonso, whom the team drafted but failed to agree to a deal.

The franchise purchased by Pureblends to the tune of P90-million also has the rights to veteran center Greg Slaughter, who could make a return stint in the league since negotiations with NorthPort bogged down in 2022.

And with a No. 4 pick and two second round selections on Sunday’s Draft at the SM Mall of Asia, Pureblends could transform its team a more formidable one.

However, Pureblends’ PBA entry will still go under scrutiny from the league’s review committee.

Representatives of the company submitted Pureblends’ letter of intent and other key requirements on Wednesday and are now in the possession of the review committee tasked to make recommendations on the reported sale.

“Nothing final yet. We’ve already forwarded the letter of intent and other documents to the review committee. They’ll be the ones to make a recommendation,” PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said.

The review committee will submit its recommendation to the Board before the start of the PBA Season 50.

Marcial added that while the reported sale is still under review, NorthPort will still be part of the regular rotation in the coming Draft.