NLEX coach Yeng Guiao is keeping himself busy while the PBA Governors Cup is on hold.
In an interview with Malaya-Business Insight yesterday, Guiao said he has been busy securing a permit so the Road Warriors can resume their small group workouts and also laid down the groundwork for negotiations with players who have expiring contracts.
“Marami-rami rin, mga walo yata iyon” said Guiao, also the team’s general manager. “Basta lumuwag-luwag na, medyo okay ng magkita o mag-usap personally, then we will start negotiations.”
The players with expiring contracts, led by Jericho Cruz and JR Quinahan, had been given a two-month contract extension each by management.
A drastic surge in COVID cases after the Christmas holidays forced the PBA to suspend the games indefinitely starting Jan. 5, with mid-February as the earliest date the tournament could resume.
“In anticipation of that, nag-extend na kami ng contracts ng mga expirees namin ng I think two months. Matapos muna conference na ito,” Guiao said.
“After this conference we will negotiate. So we can also factor in itong conference na ito as basis for negotiation, ‘yung performance nila. Ang hirap kasi, dadalawang conference lang tayo ngayon. Kung tatlong conferences mas solid sana bases mo.”
Guiao foresees no major glitch in the talks once the parties are able to meet personally, saying: “Madali lang iyon (negotiations). I don’t anticipate serious problems with them.
Wala namang major issues that I think will hinder or we can consider obstacles sa renewal nila so I’m looking forward to extending them.”
In the meantime, Guiao’s focus is getting his players to start working out through the small group clusters of only four players and three support staff allowed by the PBA for now.
The workouts are set to be conducted at the Epsilon Chi Center inside the UP-Dilliman campus.
