PBA chairman Ricky Vargas spoke out Monday against what he labeled "unregistered agents" who engage in unprofessional acts of poaching PBA players for other basketball leagues in the region.
Speaking at the official press conference for the 2022-23 PBA season that is set to tip off on Sunday, Vargas voiced his concern about "unprofessional poachers" who are allegedly behind the exodus of top basketball talent to other Asian leagues, particularly the Japanese B.League.
"We have been the favorite hunting ground of unregistered agents," said Vargas, who was recently reelected to a fifth term as PBA chairman. "They just hunt and hunt and it has been detrimental to the PBA. It's very hard to compete with other groups especially outside the country because their currencies are much more valuable."
The past two or so years has seen players such as Thirdy Ravena, Kobe Paras, Bobby Ray Parks and Dwight Ramos opting to sign with Japanese ballclubs. Additionally, Thirdy's elder brother Kiefer requested to get out of his multi-year contract with the NLEX Road Warriors to sign with B.League club Shiga Lakestars for one year. Kiefer is back in town but is not on the official NLEX lineup released by the league. NLEX governor Rodrigo Franco said the club was still in talks with Ravena about his rejoining them for the Philippine Cup.
While Thirdy Ravena, Parks and Ramos have all signed new B.League deals, other players such as Paras and Juan and Javi Gomez de Liaño were either released by their clubs or not renewed. Javi joined the recent Rookie Draft, where he was picked 8th overall by Barangay Ginebra before being traded to Terrafirma Dyip. Vargas said this was a sign that at the end of the day, Filipino players will eventually want to return home.
"I wish that some of our players begin to think that this is their home," Vargas said. "More and more, as (was) the experience of some players going overseas, they're beginning to rethink their position."
But even with some players returning home, the poaching continues. Vargas is hoping that the PBA can hammer out an agreement with its Japanese counterpart to curb such a practice.
"Pero ayaw talaga tayong tigilan, because we are a talent base in the greater Southeast Asian region," Vargas continued.
"There is a lot of poaching, and some of this poaching has been very, very unprofessional. And this is what we're trying to fight against. These unprofessional poachers who have nothing in mind but to get fees from these players.
"That's why it is very important when we said we will only deal with accredited agents. Otherwise, we will not be able to protect the players. So we will go very headstrong against those whose only intention is to poach from the PBA and who are mercenaries who gain compensation."
"I understand that the board is in the thick of conversations with the Japanese league, and soon hopefully we will be able to have a handshake on what are the rules of the game and how we can respect each other's league," he added. "Poaching has been very serious. As you know, we've lost some very good players. All we're asking for is not to poach but to be very professional about this whole process.
"There are agents who go directly to the players, who are not even registered agents. Normally, an agent who is registered with the PBA would be more circumspect in the way they manage getting players. What is difficult is agents who don't understand the PBA and are just there to make their own money and make offers to the players. And we're trying to protect the players from that as well."
The usual modus operandi of these agents, according to Vargas, is to approach PBA players with contracts that are set to expire in the next few months, explaining: "As you know, there has been a lot of poaching or promises made to players who even have contracts.
"And early on they're saying, 'At the end of your contract, come join us. Here it is, negotiate right now.' So it's very disrupting to the PBA and to the players themselves. So we're trying to put some professional in that process."
Vargas, though, was candid enough that the league cannot simply prevent these agents from talking to the players.
"We can't. We actually can't," he conceded. "They will be there. I guess it's education of our players.
"It's also trying to see if we can invite them to be registered if they're sincere enough. Hindi lang naman PBA ang affected. Maski UAAP at NCAA.
"They're beginning to poach at that level. Working together is important, getting to know who the poachers are is also very important. Getting them to be part of the community is also very important."