By JONAS TERRADO
Terrafirma will once again pick first in what is expected to be a talent-rich PBA Rookie Draft on March 14.
The Dyip are going to open the draft proceedings for the third straight year after finishing last in the PBA Philippine Cup bubble in Pampanga.
NorthPort, which like Terrafirma went 1-10 in the Philippine Cup, will draft second followed by NLEX and Blackwater at Nos. 3 and 4.
NLEX secured the third pick from Blackwater during a three-team trade that sent Poy Erram to TNT last year.
Completing the order of the first round are Rain or Shine, Magnolia, Alaska, San Miguel Beer, Meralco, Phoenix Super LPG, NorthPort (from TNT) and Philippine Cup champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
Choosing first in the second round is NorthPort (from Terrafirma), with Blackwater making the next two picks, then Phoenix (from NLEX), Rain or Shine, Magnolia, Alaska, NLEX (from SMB), Alaska (from Meralco), Rain or Shine (from Phoenix), Rain or Shine (from TNT) and Ginebra.
Terrafirma picked first in the previous two editions of the annual draft proceedings.
The Dyip took CJ Perez in 2018 and Roosevelt Adams in 2019 while also getting former Ateneo big man Isaac Go as the first selection of that same year’s special draft for Gilas Pilipinas cadet players.
The league has set a Jan. 27 deadline for players looking to join the draft. So far, the prominent names who threw their hat are Alvin Pasaol and Santi Santillan.
Jason Brickman also applied but he, Brandon Rosser and Jeremiah Gray could miss the draft after failing to submit the necessary requirements from the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Justice.
Former Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 star Joshua Munzon is another name expected to apply in the next few days.
