Even if Fil-American Stanley Pringle feels he is worth more than the first year contract of P150,000 a month for a PBA rookie, a team that drafts him in August will not be allowed to offer more than that amount under existing league rules.
Pringle, a talented point guard whose star shined when he played for the Indonesia Warriors last year in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), loomed as a strong choice for No. 1 overall pick after he entered his name in the draft.
But initial contact made by Globalport, which owns the first pick, to Pringle’s management team immediately showed that their objectives are worlds apart, especially in the matter of compensation.
Globalport is forced to stick to league limitations while Pringle’s team wants the 6-foot-1 player to receive nearly the same salary he got when he played for the Indonesian team.
That would be $20,000 or P864,000 a month. That amount is nearly double the salary of players allowed to get the maximum under PBA rules. That amount is P420,000 a month.
This has put Globalport in a quandary.
If the team picks him first on draft day on Aug. 24, Pringle might not sign for P150,000. But he also cannot sign with any other team.
In a worst case scenario, Pringle may have to sit out the season if he does not want to play for P150,000 a month.
Globalport surely needs a player like Pringle who is compared to Jason Castro and Mark Caguioa, only he’s better.
But will Globalport take him and risk losing its No. 1 pick should Pringle decide not to play?
“I will not give somebody something that is beyond the allowable,” said Globalport owner Mikee Romero.
PBA rules for rookies stipulate a maximum of P150,000 a month in the first year, P225,000 on the second year and P337,000 on the third year.
Globalport team manager BJ Manalo is confident they can work things out and get the services of Pringle in the end.
“But we will do it according to league rules,” said Manalo.
Pringle began his pro career in 2009 with the Leuven Bears in Belgium. He spent the next season with the Siarka Tarnobrzeg in Poland, where he averaged 12.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He also saw action for Dnipro Azot in Ukraine, averaging 15.0 points, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
In 2012, Pringle played for the Indonesia Warriors, leading them to the championship with 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.
Source: Yahoo
