PBA: Commissioner says Barako’s trades are fair, but up to team to explain logic behind deals

Barako Bull Energy Cola had an opportunity to rebuild their team as they had the fourth, fifth, and sixth selections in the PBA 2013 Draft. However, they saw it fit to trade away these picks for veterans players, Sunday at the Robinson’s Midtown Mall.

On Monday, PBA Commissioner Chito Salud released a statement regarding Barako Bull’s actions in the PBA Draft.

“A team can strengthen its line up through trades and/or draft picks. I did not perceive any blatantly lopsided trades during the draft. If the issue is the strategy, wisdom and rationale behind Barako's or any other team's decision to trade their picks for current stars or vice versa, that's obviously not within my province to explain or second-guess.

“It remains clearly and solely within the ball clubs' prerogative and the teams would thus be in the best position to explain the direction they have chosen to take, provided of course there are no one-sided trades involved. In any case, I keep a watchful eye on these things as our member-teams are aware,” the statement read.

Salud’s statement clarified that his office can only stop one-sided trades from happening, but can’t explain the reasons behind the trades.

For their first round picks, Barako Bull got Willy Wilson, Rico Maierhofer, Dennis Miranda, Mark Isip, and Magi Sison in return.

[See who got Barako Bull's picks]

The league earlier on Monday announced that it also approved a trade where Barako Bull received Willie Miller and Hans Thiele, while sending the GlobalPort Batang Pier Enrico Villanueva. - CLP, GMA News