Jordan Heading allegedly said that he's open to playing in the PBA.
Unfortunately, he also name-dropped Terrafirma because the team is not reaching out for his services.
I don't know if this is true or not. I just saw the article on SPIN. I don't normally like to talk about rumors, but this could have major implications in the future.
The Filipino Australian was picked first overall by Team Dyip in the special Gilas round of the 2021 PBA Draft (or the Season 46 Draft.) But while other special rounders like Will Navarro, Jaydee Tungcab, and Tzaddy Rangel have played in the PBA, Heading has yet to see action after stops in the ABL, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. Currently, he's with the West Adelaide Bearcats in the NBL. Converge, whose ties with Strong Group Athletics make them a good choice in case Heading wants to play in the PBA, has to get his rights from Terrafirma first.
In some ways, this time, Terrafirma has the say on things.
And yes, I am defending Terrafirma here. I am not saying that the franchise isn't shady, or hasn't had bad trades in their entire PBA history. That said, Heading ghosted Terrafirma for years and now wants to return as if nothing happened.
This is not like when Matthew Wright left Phoenix to go to Japan. I bet Wright wouldn't have left if he was getting the bag playing for a championship contender. Besides, Wright played six seasons for the Fuel Masters. At 33 years old, Wright can still return to the team if the outside opportunities run out.
Also, it's not like Terrafirma is salty about their talent. In fact, they allowed Javi Gomez de Liano to go international after a standout second season.
Finally, if Javi GDL left the team on good terms, the same can't be said with Roosevelt Adams. The 30-year-old is now in the Japan B.League via the Passlab Yamagata Wyverns. However, the difference between Adams and Heading is that the former played for Terrafirma while the latter flat-out ghosted the squad. Sure, you can say that his Gilas cadet status got in the way, but Isaac Go is also part of that pool and he was able to play for the team.
I know we think little of the farm squads but I still believe that their players, coaches, and management also have pride in their systems. When Heading said he was open to playing in the PBA, he had five seasons - two of which were at the height of the pandemic - to call or crawl for a roster spot.
And again, the trade is not that one-sided. Yes, it favors Ginebra in a way, but getting rid of Christian Standhardinger is something the Gins need to deal with this season. Holt is the perfect player for Terrafirma because he is their Philippine Cup import, but I doubt if he wants to play the same way for the option-loaded Ginebra squad. C-Stan is finally the frontliner Terrafirma needs. Yes, the four-point shot someone ruined Standhardinger especially if that shot becomes part of the basketball zeitgeist, but that's only in its infant stage and a dominant two-point shooter is still key in the PBA.
As mentioned, Terrafirma might still be salty with how Heading snubbed them. If Terrafirma selected Heading in the draft and just rejected his awesomeness, then that's on them. However, if Terrafirma selected Heading because they want his talents and Heading chose to play elsewhere rather than commit to the team, then that is on him.
And why is this in the news to begin with?
Just because Converge wants to get his services?
At the moment, Heading is with the NBL. But of all the PBA-ready players in SGA like RJ Abarrientos, Dave Ildefonso, and Caelan Tiongson, Converge has the best chance to get the Fil-Aussie. If the FiberXers really need his services, then they should just give a first-rounder and a couple of their players to Terrafirma. I know people would want Terrafirma to get more from what they have, but at the end of the day, just getting something for Heading would be better. Team Dyip could have had Will Navarro had they known that Heading would have never played for them. Schonny Winston was on their trading block last year. Maybe Converge could give Terrafirma a first-round pick and one of their many Ateneo, DLSU, and Letran players.
Anyway, it's unfair to say Terrafirma is blocking Heading's PBA time. How can you say he wants to play in the PBA with Terrafirma ruining it for him when he's globetrotting?