BEFORE extending his stay in the Korean Basketball League (KBL), Javi Gomez de Liano of Terrafirma was close to joining another PBA team, sources say.

Gomez de Liano’s camp was reportedly working on a trade package that would’ve sent him to a team under the SMC umbrella.

The proposed deal did not involve Barangay Ginebra, the team that picked him eighth overall three years ago in the PBA Season 47 Draft.

SPIN.ph learned that Magnolia and San Miguel were interested in acquiring the 26-year-old playmaker.

But Terrafirma's current situation prevented the trade. The team is in the midst of selling its franchise and because of that, it is barred from trading players. The team is in a "freeze," the term used to describe a team being sold.

“They [Terrafirma] couldn’t trade because the team was on a freeze. While they’re selling the team, they can’t trade the players daw,” a source said.

The uncertainty of the Dyip’s future ultimately prompted De Liano to remain in Korea where he played his last stint with Anyang Jun Kwang Jang Red Boosters just before his contract ended last July.

There will be a long wait before the champion of the PlayTime Cares Filoil EcoOil 18th Preseason Cup presented by ABC Tile Adhesive is decided.

It is because the two teams playing for the title - University of the Philippines and National University - have prior commitments which they must meet which happen to fall on the date of the championship.

Instead of a best-of-three, the championship game will be a winner-takes-all affair on July 27.

The Fighting Maroons are set for a pocket tournament in Tacloban where they will be hosted by team benefactor, notably alumnus Dan Palami, to be held from July 19 to 24.

On the other hand, the Bulldogs are flying to China for the 11th Xiamen International Elite University Basketball Championship, leaving on Tuesday and returning on July 22.

Initially, the finals was set to start on Wednesday but these developments forced the organizers to let the teams honor their commitments. The long break cancelled the best-of-three and also scrapped the third-place game between La Salle and University of Santo Tomas.

Instead, the Hanes Three-Point Shootout will serve as the appetizer in the final game day of the premier preseason league.

UP is aiming for a third straight preseason crown and capture the ECJ Perpetual Trophy.

Meanwhile, NU is aiming to regain the throne it won in 2022, when the league returned from the pandemic.

Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph