NorthPort Batang Pier team governor Erick Arejola stressed that the team is not trading star big man Christian Standhardinger, amidst rumors that the big man was on the move.
Standhardinger, the 2019 PBA Governors' Cup Best Player of the Conference, has been mentioned in trade rumors since being shipped to NorthPort from the San Miguel Beermen.
Standhardinger was reportedly on the move soon, supposedly to a top contender. However, as of the moment, team management flatly denied the rumors.
"We won't be trading Christian," mentioned Arejola in Tuesday's Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum webcast on Tuesday. "He's a vital part of the team so we won't be trading him."
Standhardinger led the team in scoring in the 2020 Philippine Cup, and posted averages of 19.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals for coach Pido Jarencio. However, his team picked up only a single win in 11 games inside the PBA bubble.
Arejola admitted that an offer to acquire Vic Manuel was made, but talks have stalled due to the excitement of the teams in the upcoming PBA Rookie Draft. This year's draft is touted as one of the deepest in recent memory.
NorthPort holds the second pick in the upcoming draft, but plans may change with regard to their selection, due to the possibility of a Gilas special draft that could be held a round before.
On the other hand, the team is set to re-sign all players with expiring contracts, and is awaiting the return of point guard Robert Bolick, who suffered an ACL tear in 2019.
"Robert is very excited to be back already. He's been focusing on his rehab getting his knees stronger. Actually, we talked with him last week. He's excited to be back on the court and how he can help since last season, and he really wants to be back already," explained the team official.
Just recently, the Batang Pier issued one-year contract extensions to Jervy Cruz, Jonathan Grey, LA Revilla, and Renzo Subido.