Gilas Pilipinas mainstay Dwight Ramos bared the possibility of entering the PBA Season 51 Draft in 2026.
Not this year, but maybe… come 2026?
Gilas star Dwight Ramos is open to the possibility of entering the PBA next year through the Draft.
“Not this year. So, we’ll see. Maybe next year,” Ramos revealed amidst joining the Gilas Pilipinas' preparation for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup next month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
With the season-ending PBA Philippine Cup about to end this month, the attention will shift toward the league’s historic 50th season that typically opens with the annual draft.
But with Ramos opting to run it back for a fourth season with the Levangga Hokkaido for the 2025-26 campaign, he is not expected to be a part of this year’s rookie draft class.
[ALSO READ: Dwight Ramos returns for fourth season with Levanga Hokkaido in Japan B.LEAGUE]
The former Ateneo Blue Eagle is – if he decides to finally make a jump to the PBA — will instead be included in the Season 51 draft next year.
[ALSO READ: Dwight Ramos in the PBA? "Eventually... hopefully," says Gilas Pilipinas star]
At present, the Levanga team captain is once again expected to suit up for the Nationals for his first Asia Cup campaign scheduled on August 5-17.
There, Gilas will face Chinese Taipei first before tackling New Zealand and Iraq. The Philippines earlier faced Taiwan and the Tall Blacks in the qualifiers.
[ALSO READ: Gilas Pilipinas drawn with New Zealand, Chinese Taipei in FIBA Asia Cup 2025]
Despite the 2025 Japan B.League season ending a couple of months ago, Ramos admitted that he and other Filipino imports just like KBL champion Carl Tamayo are playing “catch-up” to be in game-shape with only a month before the tournament starts.
“We just have to work harder and try to be as well-prepared as we can,” he said.
And with Gilas Pilipinas playing without injured big man Kai Sotto as he continues to recover from an ACL injury, Ramos is confidently rocking with the Gilas group that recently added Ginebra’s Troy Rosario and RJ Abarrientos, Magnolia’s Zavier Lucero, as well former KBL champion Rhenz Abando to the mix.
[ALSO READ: Abando, Abarrientos, Rosario, and Lucero added to Gilas pool for FIBA Asia Cup]
“Once Kai gets healthy, we’ll be waiting for him back here. But for now, we’ve got this group of guys, and we’re gonna go with them,” Ramos shared.
(With reports from Gillian Trinidad)