AFTER talks with three players went nowhere, NorthPort did some re-stocking to try and salvage what is left of its campaign in the PBA Governors Cup.
Just days before the Batang Pier see action in the resumption of the season-ending tournament, management signed up free agents Roi Sumang, Alvin Abundo, and Cris Dumapig, hoping they could fill up the void created when talks with Robert Bolick, Greg Slaughter and Nico Elorde reached a dead end.
“Kung ano nandiyan pipilitin pa ring manalo,” said NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio, busy preparing his team for their match against Rain or Shine on Saturday. “Hindi naman natin naging ugali mamilit ng ayaw.”
Winless in its first four starts, NorthPort is eager to barge into the win-column and even brought in a new import in Jamel Artis to stoke that bid.
But it would sure take a lot of doing since Bolick and Slaughter are the Batang Pier’s top two local players and Elorde is main backup to Bolick at the point.
The three players’ contracts expired Monday of last week and they all refused the new offers given them.
According to an insider, Bolick and Slaughter both reportedly want to play abroad while Elorde insisted on a shorter contract so he would become an unrestricted free agent next year.
Without Slaughter, NorthPort is left with only Troy Rike as center, although Artis, Jamie Malonzo, Arwind Santos and Kevin Ferrer could help in the frontcourt.
Dumapig, a 6-foot-4 bruiser, could also be shifted as backup center while Sumang, who last played for NLEX, and Abundo would now be counted on in the playmaking chores.
