If Pacquiao wants to play, he needs to go through the draft, reiterates PBA

If Manny Pacquiao wants to play, he’ll need to go through the draft.

PBA media bureau chief reiterated the league’s stance after a report surfaced saying that the Filipino ring icon had agreed to terms with expansion club KIA Motors to become their player-coach.

KIA originally wanted to directly hire Pacquiao as a player, but the league is staying firm on their stance disallowing new clubs KIA, the NLEX Road Warriors and Blackwater Sports from making such personnel moves.

Instead, the trio will assemble their roster via an expansion draft, taking unprotected players from the existing 10 squads, plus the rookie draft, later this year.

In a short conversation with GMA News Online, Marcial said, “As of now, wala naman tayong direct hire. So kailangan dumaan siya sa draft kung maglalaro siya.

“Wala pang binabago ang board of governors so kailangan dumaan siya sa draft.”

Last month, PBA commissioner Chito Salud had a similar message for Pacquiao, saying “you have to go through the process [of the draft].”

Should he enter the 2014 PBA Draft, Pacquiao could be snatched up by any of the other 10 PBA clubs, before KIA-NLEX-Blackwater get to select at the 11th to 13th spots, their order to be determined by lottery.

In an interview with sports website Spin, Pacquiao said that he would concentrate on being a coach, which the rules do not prevent, but added, “Maglalaro ako minsan.”

He also said that he cleared the situation with his promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. - AMD, GMA News