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IF
reports are true, Talk ’N Text is not done yet changing
its roster as it finds a formidable team capable of
winning the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)
Philippine Cup title.
After
Asi Taulava, words are circling around the league that
sharpshooter Renren Ritualo will be the next one to go
if the Phone Pals land a good offer from the other team,
according to a league insider.
 But
the choices will be limited for TNT as Ritualo, once the
most sought-after scoring guard in the league, is on the
restricted trading list (RTL), which means that he can
only be traded to a player who is also in that group.
Players
on the RTL are Mick Pennisi of Red Bull, Danny Seigle of
Magnolia, James Yap of Purefoods, Mark Caguioa of
Barangay Ginebra, Ranidel de Ocampo of Air21, Willie
Miller of Alaska, John Arigo of Coca-Cola and Dennis
Espino of Sta. Lucia Realty.
The
league policy states that only players within the list
can be traded to one another, unless a team removes the
player on the RTL before making a deal, as in the case
of Red Bull, which helped to ship off Enrico Villanueva
to Magnolia (formerly San Miguel) late last season.
Just
last week the Phone Pals shipped Taulava to Coca-Cola in
exchange for Ali Peek and the Tigers’ first-round pick
next year. For one game, the trade backfired on TNT as
it dropped a heartbreaking 96-93 loss to the Beverage
Masters on Sunday.
Tagged
as one of the favorites in the All-Filipino tournament
with its star-studded lineup, TNT is struggling, mired
in the middle of the standings with a 5-6 win-loss mark
which could persuade team management to move another
marquee player to get itself out of the doldrums.
If a
trade does transpire, Ritualo, the former
La Salle hotshot, could be headed to his third team in just his
sixth season in the league. He was Air21’s No. 8 overall
pick in the 2002 draft and spent a couple of seasons
there before he transferred to the Phone Pals in May
2006. |
