Geo Chiu, a potential top pick in the upcoming 2025 PBA Rookie Draft. –PBA IMAGES
For Geo Chiu, whoever he ends up with during the PBA Rookie Draft won’t matter.
“Whatever the outcome [of the Draft] is, we will accept it,” said Chiu, who is poised to be selected first by Terrafirma in Sunday’s proceedings at SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.
A change of heart could happen, considering the high level of unpredictability of this year’s class.
But executives and scouts around the league would be least surprised if the Dyip will go with the 6-foot-9 product of Ateneo, who also brings some experience playing for Gilas Pilipinas and overseas in Japan and Taiwan.
If Chiu, who is currently in the MPBL with the Abra Weavers, does end up being the first name being called, the question is whether he will be in for the long haul at the Dyip camp.
The Dyip’s history of trading their first round selections is well-documented, and many are speculating that the trend will continue, whether Chiu gets to play at least one game for them or not.
Regardless, that team will get someone who has the ceiling that everyone in the league is looking for, especially with June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer still the measuring stick when it comes to PBA big men.
Meanwhile, everything seems to be pointing to Converge selecting Juan Gomez de Liaño, the point guard that the FiberXers could have been targeting with their move to climb to No. 2 in the Draft. The only thing standing in the way of that, according to sources, is Terrafirma selecting the former University of the Philippines playmaker.
Gomez de Liaño was seen chatting with Converge officials led by Delta Pineda and team governor Archen Cayabyab, and the cozy nature of their “kamustahan” looked as if they were all on the same side.
Converge suddenly got the No. 2 pick after securing a deal with Phoenix, which initially wanted to use that to get a big like Chiu, for the No. 8 selection and forward Bryan Santos.
That has set the stage for the FiberXers to get a talented guard to partner with Alec Stockton and the front line combo of Justine Baltazar, last year’s top overall selection, and Justine Arana.
From there, the next picks seem like a guessing game.
Blackwater goes at No. 3, followed by NorthPort, which will still participate in the Draft while the league reviews the sale of its franchise to Pureblends Corp., and NLEX.
Among the top prospects expected to get called early are 6-foot-1 guard Dalph Panopio, known for his outside shooting and composed playmaking, veteran floor general Jason Brickman, the oldest applicant at 33 and power forward Will Gozum.
The unpredictability will intensify near the end of the first round, with Magnolia, Meralco, Phoenix, San Miguel Beer, Rain or Shine, Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine expected to go with the best available talent.
By the time they’re on the board, potential available names are likely to be guard L-Jay Gonzales, wingman Chris Koon, pesky guard CJ Austria, big man Christian Manaytay, stretch forward Yukien Andrada, 32-year-old shooter Chris Miller and forward Jack Cruz-Dumont.
One player who could have been a potential sleeper is Filipino Canadian guard Kascius Small-Martin, a relative unknown who made a good impression with his passing and other offensive skills in the Draft combine.
But the league removed his name after he failed to secure a Philippine passport on time.
Five others were also ruled ineligible for the Draft, reducing the final list of applicants to 122, still one of the biggest pools in history.
The order of the second round has Ginebra, Phoenix, Blackwater, NorthPort, NLEX, Terrafirma, Meralco, Rain or Shine, Converge, Rain or Shine, Ginebra and Rain or Shine while from the third round and beyond has the original order of Terrafirma, Phoenix, Blackwater, NorthPort, NLEX, Magnolia, Meralco, Converge, San Miguel, Rain or Shine, Ginebra and TNT.