Amid benching, Joseph Yeo sees trade in his future

Despite injuries to back court stars Stanley Pringle and Terrence Romeo, veteran guard Joseph Yeo was benched for the second consecutive game in GlobalPort's 115-103 loss to Blackwater on Sunday night.

The former La Salle star averaged 18 minutes of action in Batang Pier's first four games, tallying 4.5 points, three rebounds, and 1.25 assists per contest.

In the next two games, however, he did not step on the playing court at all even though GlobalPort needed another playmaker on the floor with Pringle nursing an ankle injury.

"Curious ako ba't 'di nila ako ginagamit," Yeo said. "Sabi sa 'kin ni coach Pido (Jarencio), diskarte lang daw niya 'yun kung kelan niya ako papalaruin."

Yeo said he respects his coach's decision, but he was also left wondering about his future with the team especially as trade rumors swirl around him anew.

"Parang weird naman na biglang sabihin nila na diskarte nila. Kita mo naman wala na kaming players," he said. "Dun ako nagulat kasi last game wala na nga si Stanley 'di ba tapos 'di pa rin ako pinalaro."

A trade involving Yeo seemed even more imminent on Sunday as he still rode the bench despite Romeo's limited minutes due to a calf injury.

GlobalPort's team owner Mikee Romero himself posted a cryptic Facebook status last Tuesday, dropping a blind item about "a veteran player who is playing very poorly."

Romero said that the said player will "spend more time on the bench" and hinted that the management is making moves to deal him away to other teams.

Yeo said he has not heard anything from his coaches or front office about a trade, but he is aware of Romero's post and the reported speculations on his future.

"Lahat ng mga players dito kinausap nila pero ako wala, parang cold sila sa akin. So siguro nga baka malipat nga nila ako," he said.

But the experienced journeyman, who had stops with Coca-cola, Sta. Lucia, Petron Blaze, Air21 Express, Barangay Ginebra, and Barako Bull, said he will remain professional and keep practicing with the team until a deal is finalized.

"Kung malipat, 'di okay. Kung hindi malipat, 'di trabaho pa rin di ba," he said. —JST, GMA News