It’s go for Jun-Andy trade deal

The three-way trade deal among Barangay Ginebra, Purefoods and Sta. Lucia Realty pushed through after all with Jun Limpot joining the Hotdogs and Andy Seigle the Kings.

PBA commissioner Noli Eala broke the news yesterday as he reiterated the transactions undertaken by the three teams "were perfectly valid."

At presstime, Purefoods team manager Rene Pardo said they’re finalizing the details as Sta. Lucia was now bargaining for another player from the Hotdogs.

But sources said the deal would push through, scuttling reports (not from The STAR) that Limpot would be put on the "waiver rule" instead and might end up with Red Bull.

Eala himself denied his reported statements questioning the validity of the transactions. "Ewan ko ba, iba ang inilabas noon doon sa sinabi ko," said Eala.

Pardo said Sta. Lucia now wanted to acquire Rodney Santos instead of Ronald Magtulis.

The deal will have Sta. Lucia first acquiring Limpot from Ginebra in exchange for the Realtors’ first round pick in the coming draft. Then, Sta. Lucia deals Limpot to Purefoods for Seigle and probably Santos. Seigle will later be traded to Ginebra for Sta. Lucia’s original first round pick this year plus the Kings’ first round pick in 2005.

Meanwhile, Red Bull Barako’s Jimwell Torion will make another appeal to the Commissioner’s Office to reconsider his suspension on the entirety of the PBA Fiesta Cup.

"Hanggang ngayon wala pang sagot sa appeal niya, kay maga-appeal uli siya. Kapag wala pa rin sagot, ang team tutulong na na mag-appeal," said Red Bull Barako team manager Tony Chua.

Eala suspended Torion for the entire Fiesta Cup as a result of his deliberate foul on Talk n Text’s Jimmy Alapag in the Thunder’s last game last season.

Torion said he’s been enduring the effects of the suspension without drawing a single pay since November.

In fact, he said he wasn’t able to go home to Cebu last Christmas and is now going around in a borrowed service team vehicle. "Yung CRV ko, ibinalik ko na agad at wala akong ipangbabayad," he said. —Nelson Beltran