It's not a secret that other basketball leagues in Asia, including the Japan's B.League and the KBL, are offering a lot more salary compared to the PBA. That's one of the main reasons why several players opted to play abroad, perhaps that could be the main driving factor for some. Who doesn't want more money after all?
Filipino players in South Korea though are threatened with a possible pay cut, at least according to a Korean blogger. The said blogger with a Twitter handler @baekpd1983, who claims to have covered Korean basketball for 23 years, said the salary cap for Asian imports will be at $160,000 or around P8.8 million.
Again, the KBL has yet to announce this update officially. The disparity, however, is glaring when compared to previous contracts.
For example, Anyang KGC's Rhenz Abando, who is the highest paid among his peers, signed a P9.75 million deal in his debut in Korea, according to Korean website Jumpball. That's almost one million pesos down gone.
According to @baekpd1983, Asian imports who will sign 2-3 years will get the chance for that $160,000 contract. It is lower for "1+1 year" deals.
The silver lining according to the Korean source, is that the Asian imports will be "exempted from income tax and agent fees."
How this will affect KBL or the rest of Asia's basketball league has yet to be seen.