Talks of possible expansion teams and franchise sales were abound before the PBA's 50th season. Earlier, the Terrafirma Dyip was put in the spotlight. Now, the reports center on the NorthPort Batang Pier.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said he has not received notification from NorthPort regarding the reported talks to buy the Batang Pier, the latest development in franchise talks in the league before the 50th season unfurls this October.
In a span of a few months, interest was fanned regarding the possibilities of franchises being bought or added.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced regarding a prospective buyer for the NorthPort franchise, 13 years after it took over the Powerade Tigers.
"Walang sinasabi sa akin ang NP," Marcial replied when asked about the alleged talks to acquire NorthPort.
One Sports tried to reach out to NorthPort, but there was no response as of posting time.
The report surfaced just over a month after the PBA declared that Terrafirma Dyip would be staying put for the league's golden season.
Earlier talks with Starhorse Shipping Lines, which was supposed to be Terrafirma's replacement, did not bear fruit. Marcial said the company "failed to comply with several requirements needed to acquire an existing franchise, specifically on the financial side."
Back in April, Marcial disclosed that there were at least three firms which expressed interest to join the PBA, initially as expansion teams.
[ALSO READ: Commissioner Willie Marcial says several firms express interest to join PBA]
One team that sent a Letter of Intent was the Junnie Navarro-owned Zamboanga Valientes, expressing interest to acquire the Terrafirma franchise.
[ALSO READ: Zamboanga Valientes in process of acquiring Terrafirma franchise in PBA]
Another firm that sent its own LOI turned out to be Universal Canning Inc., makers of Family's Brand Sardines and Master Sardines.
But come July, the PBA confirmed negotiations between Terrafirma and Zamboanga bogged down.
[ALSO READ: Terrafirma stays in PBA as talks between Dyip, Zamboanga Valientes fall through]
As for NorthPort, it remains to be seen whether the team can rise from its rollercoaster campaign in Season 49. They went from finishing fifth (3-7) in Group A of the Governors' Cup, to being the top seed and reaching the semifinals in the Commissioner's Cup, to crashing down as 11th in the Philippine Cup.
NorthPort lost its brightest young star in Arvin Tolentino, the mid-season Best Player of the Conference, who opted to sign with the Seoul SK Knights in the Korean Basketball League.
[ALSO READ: No regrets as Arvin Tolentino embraces fresh start with Seoul SK Knights in KBL]
The Batang Pier also dealt another rising star in William Navarro to Magnolia for Calvin Abueva in the heat of the Philippine Cup.
Not long after the conference, however, Navarro also left the Hotshots for a KBL stint with the Busan KCC Egis.
[ALSO READ: Will Navarro heads to KBL with Busan KCC Egis after parting ways with Magnolia Hotshots]