The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is looking to implement trade guidelines as its latest innovation since turning professional.
The PVL is currently working on trade guidelines to implement in the near future, days before the league unfurls only its second rookie draft this weekend at the Novotel Manila in Cubao, Quezon City on Sunday.
During the PVL’s guesting at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum, PVL Commissioner Sherwin Malonzo said that they are already in discussions with teams and are deliberating how to go about it.
“With the teams kasi, they’re looking forward to it all,” Malonzo said of trading.
“We’re just finalizing the guidelines. Pero 'yung gist, basta bawal ang trading among sister teams, and then, bawal mag-trade ng rookie. so kung 'yung rights ng rookie, or kung may contract na 'yung rookie, has to be one season muna bago siya ma-trade,” he added.
While the commissioner is still in talks with the teams, Malonzo already has a good idea of how they want to implement rules.
“One of the things that we will not allow is for a player to be traded twice in one trading window. So, we won’t allow that,” he said, this is to avoid teams trading players left in right to gain a player they could not initially trade for.
They also set rules on teams transacting with more than one other team each time, much like three-way trades or more that we see in the NBA.
Eager to find out how trading would affect the current state of competitiveness among the teams, Malonzo and the PVL wants to remain reserved on what they will and will not allow during the first season of trading.
“Yes, bawal pa 'yun. Hindi natin 'yan [ia-allow]. One is to one lang. Tsaka once lang 'yun. Like I said, once lang pwede i-trade ang player. So kay Team A, Team B, i-trade lang nila 'yung mga players. That's it. Hindi po pwede pagka-trade kay Team B, 'yung nakuha niyang player, iti-trade niya kay Team C,” said Malonzo.
“Kahit ilang taon na naka-allow, two years after, only one year. One year lang. A player must stay with the team at least one season bago siya ma-i-trade ulit. 'Yun 'yung mga pinag-aaralan namin.”
When it comes to timings, the league is also looking to hold “trading windows” twice in a season, where teams will have a few weeks to negotiate and complete trade deals across the board.
“Alam ko may window two weeks. Two weeks. Mahigit one week, definitely. And then, mangyayari siya twice within a year, within a season, rather.” said Malonzo.