Save for Rain or Shine finally breaking into the win column after a 0-2 start at the expense of Phoenix which suffered its first defeat in four games in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup last Tuesday, it was an uneventful first meeting between Gian Mamuyac and his former team, perhaps a sign both of them have already moved on from their abrupt separation.

Last 16 July, the PBA Commissioner’s Office approved the trade that sent Mamuyac and Rain or Shine’s second-round pick in the 53rd Season Draft to Phoenix in exchange for the Fuel Masters’ first-round pick in that same draft.

It remains a trade that continues to baffle and intrigue me a bit.

Why was Mamuyac traded? Why did Rain or Shine decide to let him go? Or perhaps the better question is: why did Mamuyac decide to leave a team he had always described as his home and family?

Before the deal, both sides were already deep into negotiations for a contract extension. Or more accurately, Rain or Shine was negotiating with Mamuyac’s authorized representative, Titan Management Group.

Under league rules, his contract had been automatically extended until the end of the current conference, after which he would have become a restricted free agent.

In a recent interview — which, admittedly, I can no longer recall which media outlet conducted —Mamuyac said he remained hopeful that both parties would eventually reach an agreement. He even revealed that the gap in their negotiations had become very small. More importantly, he said he wanted to stay with the franchise that had been his home for the last four seasons since Rain or Shine selected him fifth overall in the 47th Season Draft in 2022.

Unbelievable as it may seem, before the trade, Mamuyac was the only first round selection that year who was still with the same team that drafted him.

In his first three seasons with the Elasto Painters, he averaged a respectable 10.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 103 games.

Through the first two conferences of the PBA’s 50th season, his numbers even improved to 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal in 31 games.

His production was up.

He had become an integral part of coach Yeng Guiao’s rotation.

Before the season even began, he was also elected team captain by his teammates.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

In another interview after the trade, Guiao himself admitted that he was saddened by the development. But he also acknowledged that deals like this are part of the PBA landscape and that contract negotiations have to be a win-win situation for both player and team.

He pointed out that Rain or Shine would never have offered Mamuyac a three-year extension if the organization did not consider him an important piece.

A team will always look after what it believes is best for the franchise. Rain or Shine also possesses a wealth of young talent and future draft picks. After Mamuyac’s exit, the Elasto Painters actually still have 16 locals in their fold, perhaps making him expendable from a basketball standpoint.

An agent, on the other hand, is duty-bound to protect the interests of the player he represents.

Still, I have always believed that the final decision ultimately rests with the player himself.

If Mamuyac truly wanted to stay, could something still have been worked out?

We already know how the story ended.

Yeah, life goes on in the PBA.