Ginebra traded veterans Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle to Terra Firma in exchange for Steven Holt, Isaac Go and draft picks. – PBA IMAGES
It was a massive deal considering the names involved, but the trade that sent Barangay Ginebra veterans Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle to Terra Firma also contains hidden swaps of picks that could impact the progress of Sunday’s PBA Rookie Draft.
With this deal, Ginebra addressed an aging team, acquiring top Rookie of the Year candidate Steven Holt and promising big man Isaac Goh from the Kings.
“Stanley has been dominant since we acquired him and Christian has been the best player in the league the last few years behind June Mar (Fajardo),” head coach Tim Cone told the Inquirer in a text message.
“But we felt we needed to rejuvenate and with Christian, he said in our last meeting that he wanted to play in a different system and under a different coach,” he added.
The pick swap included in the trade could be a talking point in itself.
Ginebra will also acquire Terra Firma’s No. 3 pick in a pool filled with surprises, while sending the No. 10 pick to Diep.
This means the Gin Kings will have early access to a host of talented draft candidates, including former Gilas High School cadet Justin Baltazar, Ateneo High School star Kai Barungay, La Salle High School draft combine MVP Johnnel Policarpio and overseas veteran Cedric Barefield.
A last-minute influx of draft applicants, including international players RJ Abarrientos and Dave Ildefonso, forced many teams to reassess their selection strategies.
On the surface, the trade gives the Gin Kings a high-IQ playmaker and an agile big man — traditionally a key role in Cone’s triangle system — at a time when LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar are nearing the twilight years of their PBA careers.
Cone said it was tough to let go of both Standhardinger and Pringle, who were “absolute stars” for the team over the past few years, the top draft picks in their respective drafts and who led beloved teams to two PBA championships in the past three seasons.
Explanation Post
Cone also revealed that Ginebra had explored various trades for Standhardinger in the past, with Standhardinger providing details of those in his own Instagram post.
“Just to be clear, a year ago, there was a possibility that I would be traded due to dissatisfaction, but after playing throughout the season, I was keen to remain with Ginebra. Recently, during my exit meeting, coach Tim asked me if I would be OK with continuing to play for him and the team. I said yes and he told me he would be happy to have me on the team,” said the Filipino-German, who was selected by Terra Firma in the controversial 2017 rookie draft.
“Coach Tim called me yesterday and informed me of the decision to trade me for a younger player. I want to emphasize that I was in no way involved in this decision as I was finishing my contract with Ginebra,” he added. “Again, I respect the decision and understand the business side of the sport. I just want to be clear that I am not leaving…”
The Dip recently lost Javi Gomez de Liano, a key member of the team that swept powerhouse San Miguel in the Philippine Cup playoffs, so now they have the added challenge of integrating the 35-year-old Standhardinger and the 37-year-old Pringle into the team.
Guard Juami Tiongson and stretch big Kemark Cariño remain among the five former promising players who carried the Beermen to the final game in the quarterfinals.
Still, the trade has drawn mixed reactions, with Ginebra fans and non-fans alike shocked at the trade that will see Standhardinger, a potential MVP for 2023, sent away.
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This marks the second consecutive year that a top pick has been traded before even a full season. Last time, Brandon Ganulous-Rosser was drafted by Blackwater in May 2022, only to be traded to NLEX four months later and then to TNT.
