Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Trade News: Joe Devance, Solomon Mercado Swap Teams As Alaska and Rain or Shine Closed on Trade Deal
In a move to further shore up their respective lineups, the Alaska Aces and Rain or Shine Elastopainters agreed on a trade deal that sent 2007 # draft pick Joe Devance to Alaska Aces in exchange for 2008 #5 rookie pick Solomon Mercado. Second round draft picks and Eddie Laure were included in the deal.
The trade benefits both teams as Rain or Shine wants a different look for their basketball team who wants to have a run-and-gun team with their newly acquired young bloods. Their frontline, however, got thinner with Devance's departure.
Alaska, on the other hand, got a bigman to help Sonny Thoss and other frontliners to man the shaded lane. Devance is a good choice as he fit coach Tim Cone's triangle offense, which require good shooting touch for his position.
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DEVANCE TO ALASKA, MERCADO & LAURE TO RAIN OR SHINE
Deal seen to benefit both teams
Source: Philippine Basketball Association
Tuesday, 02 September 2008
Less than 24 hours after acquiring Solomon Mercado from the Draft, Alaska dealt the Fil-Am guard together with Eddie Laure to Rain or Shine (formerly Welcoat) in exchange for 2007 top Draft pick Joe Devance plus two future draft picks.
Alaska basketball coach Tim Cone said it's a gamble on their part to fill a vacuum in their basketball lineup at big forward position.
"Mercado will be a great basketball player without a doubt but Devance is to fill an immediate need for us," said Cone of the basketball trade deal consummated the morning after the 2008 PBA Annual Draft where they picked Mercado at No. 5 behind Gabe Norwood, Jared Dillinger, Jason Castro and Rob Reyes.
"We'll miss Eddie but he'll be able to play a bigger basketball role at Rain or Shine," said Cone on Laure, who's reunited with his former PBL basketball team.
The Aces hope they gained added basketball offensive clout on the entry of Devance, a 6-foot-7 Fil-Am who played college basketball for the University of Texas at El Paso.
The Honolulu, Hawaii native, son of an ex-US Armyman and a Filipina mom from Escalante, Negros, led the Dragons in scoring with 16.1 points a basketball game in the Philippine Cup. He also normed seven rebounds, one assist, 0.7 steal and 0.8 block a ballgame in the same basketball tourney.
Alaska had a mediocre showing in the 2007-08 basketball season notwithstanding its acquisition of rookies Ken Bono and JR Quinahan, and later the arrival of Larry Fonacier and LA Tenorio.
The Rain or Shine management, meanwhile, said they agreed on the trade as they wanted a different look for their basketball team in the coming basketball season.
The Dragons picked Norwood and TY Tang from the Draft. The basketball team earlier acquired Gherome Ejercito from the free agent pool and reactivated Denver Lopez from the injured list.
With their prized acquisitions, the Asian Coatings Corp. basketball franchise, 10th and dead last in its first four PBA conferences, hopes to finally make an impact in the professional basketball league. (NC)
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