Red Bull sends Kerby to Purefoods

Red Bull and Purefoods completed yesterday the first trade deal of the year in the PBA with the Photokina franchise releasing forward-center Kerby Raymundo to the Hotdogs in exchange for future draft picks.

In an apparent move to ensure its competitiveness in the future, Red Bull traded Raymundo to Purefoods in exchange for the Hotdog’s first and second round picks in the 2003 draft.

Red Bull and Purefoods officials closed the deal yesterday although they have yet to forward the (trade) documents to the PBA Commissioner’s Office.

Purefoods reportedly initiated the deal in anticipation of Andy Seigle’s inclusion into the national team. Players picked for the national team will not play for their mother teams in the first two conferences of the 2002 season under the program of the PBA Commissioner’s Office for its Asian Games participation.

Actually, Purefoods may well lend not only Seigle to the RP team but two other players in guards Noy Castillo and Boyet Fernandez.

Red Bull, on the other hand, has two candidates for the national team in Davonn Harp and Mick Pennisi.

Raymundo was among the 50 PBA players invited to the initial tryouts but failed to make it to the final 18.

A former amateur standout and veteran of the Southeast Asian Games, Raymundo put up significant contributions as Red Bull gained supremacy in the PBA in only its second year of participation in the league in the Commissioner’s Cup last year.

However, the 6-foot-6 forward-slotman out of Letran had to play second fiddle to Harp and Pennisi.

Raymundo was part of the original Red Bull team that made its maiden stint in the league two years ago. But his rookie year in the league was cut short by academic deficiencies. — Nelson Beltran