IN the tradition of a Justin Brownlee and previously, Allen Durham, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is, for all intents and purposes, now the resident import of TNT.

The former NBA player just signed a one-year deal with the telecommunication franchise that will ensure his return to the team for its defense of the Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup championships for Season 50 of the PBA.

Team manager Jojo Lastimosa confirmed that Hollis-Jefferson, 29, already signed a contract that was readied shortly after the Tropang 5G won the mid-season conference following their epic Game 7 win over the Barangay Ginebra Kings.

“Rondae signed already his contract to return for both Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup,” Lastimosa disclosed to SPIN.ph on Easter Sunday.

“Part of the deal is he will stay away from playing with other teams so he can rest.”

Doing so, Hollis-Jefferson will be following in the footsteps of Brownlee, who has been Ginebra’s resident import since 2016, and Durham, the long-time reinforcement of Meralco until his retirement from basketball last year.

PHOTO: Sherwin Vardeleon

Hollis-Jefferson’s agreement with TNT management is a bit different, though.

The contract is good for 12 months, meaning the 30-year-old, three-time Best Import won’t be playing for any other team but TNT.

“Even for the months na he is supposed to play (abroad), babayaran namin siya just to rest. Ganun yung deal namin na 12 months siyang sa amin talaga,” added Lastimosa, the PBA Greatest Player member turned team executive.

Asked how the contract will affect Hollis-Jefferson's separate agreement with Jordan to be the Middle East side's naturalized player, Lastimosa said that's still to be discussed.

Hollis-Jefferson is currently in the US and won’t be back in the country until middle of this year to rejoin TNT.

Since coming over as a replacement for high-scoring Jalen Hudson in the 2023 Governors’ Cup, the first-round pick of the 2015 NBA draft has steered TNT to three PBA championships while winning as many Best Import awards along the way.

"(RHJ) will join is around June or July to do a series of basketball clinics around the country, while supporting the team’s push for the All-Filipino crown,” said Lastimosa.

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