The Ray Parks Trade should be rejected

(c) PBA Media Bureau

Have you heard about it? Yes, Bobby Ray Parks Jr. is bound to Meralco in three-team trade. TNT is set to receive Baser Amer and Blackwater will get Brian Heruela and Jericho Cruz.

Yes. That is not a fair trade.

Fortunately to the PBA universe, the technical committee, led by the PBA Commissioner, can still veto the trade and at least force a revision.

Do we even need to expound why the trade is not fair? To be specific, Blackwater is not getting enough for Bobby Ray Parks!

Let us strip it down further. Blackwater is not getting enough for the #2 pick! There is no way that a starting caliber guard plus a bench player is equivalent to the #2 pick.

THE VALUE

Simply checking the history of the PBA draft will show you how valuable the #2 pick is. 

Here are the last nine #2 picks before Parks.

2017 - Kiefer Ravena

2016 - This was the Gilas draft where-in the governors discussed which player should go where. 

2015 - Troy Rosario

2014 - Kevin Alas

2013 - Ian Sangalang

2012 - Calvin Abueva

2011 - Paul Lee

2010 - Rabeh Al-Hussaini

2009 - Rico Maierhofer

2008 - Jared Dillinger

Six of the last nine official #2 picks before Parks is way better than Jericho Cruz. Think about it, are you going to trade Rosario or Ravena or Sangalang or Abueva or Lee or Dillinger at-his-peak for Jericho Cruz and Brian Heruela?

No way! 

And no disrespect to almost all of those players but Parks has way more potential than them. He can be the best player in the league as early as his sophomore season! 

THE MESSAGE 

One more thing that the commissioner should realize is the underlying message that will be sent to PBA fans if he simply approves this trade. 

What message/s?

Farm teams are real! Nothing has changed! Marcial is as bad as Narvasa! 

But the worse is this. 

There is no parity in the league. 

Rich franchises are allowed to "used" the smaller franchises. In short, rich franchises are given a big advantage against independent franchises.

What is the reason to root for the other franchises if you know that the teams of the conglomerates will overpower them? 

Fans cannot develop affection to a professional team that cannot win a crown.

SO?

At the very least, the commissioner should give us hope by forcing a revision. At the very least, force Meralco to add two 2nd round picks in the package. 

At the very least, the total value of the package should equate to the #2 pick. 

At the very least, you will give us "hope" that something has "change".