With the character he showed the last time, Raymond Almazan could be the next big thing for Rain or Shine.
No less than Rain or Shine co-team owner Raymond Yu expressed delight with the attitude the young center showed that he declared him ‘untouchable’ as other teams showed interest in getting him – if he is on the trading.
Interestingly, one of them is former ROS coach Yeng Guiao.
Guiao, who is now calling the shots for NLEX, admitted that they already have reached out with ROS management before the start of the conference for a possible deal for Almazan.
In return, NLEX is willing to give up its 2017 first round pick, which – after poor showing in the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup – is estimated to end up as No. 1 overall pick.
But Yu torpedoed the talks, saying Almazan is not on the trading block.
“Of course, hindi naman tayo nagsa-sarado ng pinto (to trades), anything can happen. Wala naman indispensable sa team… pero si Raymond malapit na sa ganun – indispensable,” added Yu, who co-owns the team with Terry Que.
Aside from that, Yu said it’s impossible for NLEX to get Almazan now since Guiao’s team is doing well with a 6-2 record.
The 6-foot-8 Almazan caught the admiration of the team owners as well as his teammates when he shrugged off fever to play against Star, saying his services was badly needed since veteran center Beau Belga was serving his one-game suspension.
Despite his condition, he still put up 13 points and 14 rebounds – numbers enough to help power ROS to a 92-88 win over Star.
But after the game, he was rushed to a hospital due to dehydration.