MANILA, Philippines — Rabah Al-Hussaini, the college star who helped Ateneo win two of its four consecutive UAAP championships and the PBA rookie of the year last season, is reportedly being offered by his team Petron to Shopinas.com in exchange for a No. 1 pick in this year’s PBA rookie draft.
PBA sources said talks are under way for the 23-year-old, 6-foot-7 center to join the league’s newest team which will carry the name Air21 starting in the Commissioner’s Cup which opens February 10.
The trade, should it happen, is expected to boost each team’s future endeavors.
Shopinas.com, which lost all of its 14 games in the just-concluded All-Filipino conference, is looking for a quick lineup boost to bury the memory of its lop-sided debut.
Petron, on the other hand, is preparing to improve further its already potent lineup by having an early pick in the coming draft that will have a mouth-watering array of college standouts that include Ateneo’s 7-footer Greg Slaughter, University of Cebu’s 6-foot-10 Junmar Fajardo and Far Eastern University’s 6-foot-7 Aldrech Ramos.
“That’s the reason why Petron is interested,” said another source.
To strengthen its lineup, Air21 has also acquired the services of Mark Isip and Nelbert Omolon from Meralco in exchange for Dennis Daa, Mark Canlas and a 2012 first round pick, which originally belongs to the Bolts in a previous trade with the team.
The team also reached an agreement with Marcus Douthit, a naturalized Filipino who played for the national team in the previous FIBA-Asia Championship, to play for Air21 in the Commissioner’s Cup set to start February 10.
Shopinas/Air21 coach Franz Pumaren said yesterday that the 6-foot-10 Douthit already “agreed in principle” to play for them next conference.
“There’s already an agreement,” said Pumaren after the team’s practice at the Green Meadows subdivision gym. “That’s what the management told us, but he’ll be joining us at least second week (of the tournament) since he’s still playing in China.”
Douthit is currently playing in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) with the Foshan Dralions. In a recent email sent to the PBA Commissioner’s Office, the 31-year-old Douthit said he will be available on February 18.
The PBA Board of Governors voted to make Air21 with sole rights to negotiate and get Douthit as import for the Commissioner’s Cup.
“Marcus can really help us, because we can rely on somebody down the stretch. That’s what we lacked during the Philippine Cup. We don’t have that go-to-guy,” Pumaren said.
“But having him isn’t a big of an advantage since other teams also have tall imports. So we expect a tough conference. We’re optimistic, though, that we’ll get better as compared to last conference. We have a good roster,” he added.
Taking Al Hussaini will be a little risky for Air21 though. While the Fil-Kuwaiti has proven himself capable in his rookie debut, he missed the crucial stages of the last year’s third conference finals after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Petron, however, went to on to win the title against Talk ’N Text that went seven games.
Since then, he hasn’t played as as he continues to recover from the surgery.
It will be a homecoming for Rabeh, however, as Air21 was the team that drafted him in 2010 before he was shipped to Petron – together with fellow newcomers Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra – in a blockbuster deal.
Source: Waylon Galvez, Manila Bulletin
kaya di na yun kataka taka kung malipat ulit si rabeh at baka sa tnt sya mapunta kasi they have no legimate big man that can play center except for ali peek, karamihan ng mga big man nila mga pf/sf lang laro but if that trade happen sana isama si duncil na mabalik sya sa petron
