Following the rumors that Manila SV Batang Sampaloc might pull out of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) next season, basketball insider Homer Sayson has revealed very interesting information online — the jaw-dropping contract of star center Greg Slaughter. How much is the former PBA Best Player of the Conference making in the MPBL, and how much are other players in the league getting paid? We’ll find out in this article.
Manila has an extremely talented team. In fact, they were one of the top teams this season. Their roster was so deep, but so were their pockets. This club reportedly has a budget of about Php4 Million, and you wouldn’t believe that a third of that salary is going to only one player — Greg Slaughter.
Gregzilla’s Gigantic MPBL Earnings
According to Homer Sayson, as per his sources, the Manila Stars aren’t holding back on giving Gregzilla a hefty salary. This is Slaughter’s first season in the league, and he is already earning Php1.1 million per month, plus a Php25,000 incentive for every game he wins.
If this is true, the 36-year-old star receives more than what he was being paid in the PBA, maybe even bigger than his last contract in Japan B-League. In 2022, Slaughter asked Terrafirma for the max salary at the time which is Php 420,000 a month, but got rejected. As a result, he moved his talents to Japan where he was reportedly going to get $22,000 (Php 1.2 million) a month but it was later on revealed that he was only pulling in about $15,000 or the equivalent of about Php 825,000.
His salary in the MPBL is obviously higher judging by the numbers, so this makes Slaughter a higher-paid basketball player compared to the highest-paid PBA player, June Mar Fajardo.
Unfortunately, despite his presence in the paint, Manila underperformed, to say the least. They immediately got bounced in the playoffs even though they were the higher seed.
On the other hand, Slaughter somehow managed expectations. He was putting up solid numbers— 16 PPG, 10 RPG, and 1.1 BPG— and led the team to the 4th seed. Truly, the Manila Stars are miles better compared to what they were last season. Unfortunately, spending millions for an aging superstar did not translate to winning.
How Much Are MPBL Players Getting Paid?
The exact value of how much MPBL players are actually getting isn’t officially revealed. Back in 2019, commissioner Kenneth Duremdes imposed a Php 50,000 monthly salary cap for players. Five years later, that has obviously changed. Back then, newcomers or benchwarmers were given at least Php15,000. Of course, that may change depending on the team’s budget. But for clubs like Manila or San Juan, that is just pennies and nickels for their sponsors.
After 6 seasons, the minimum has changed significantly, but the exact range isn’t shared publicly. For comparison, PBA players are getting paid no less than Php 50,000 (excluding taxes).
Sayson also shared that MPBL players who have once played in the PBA were given Php 100,000 a month, while bigger names took home salaries north of Php 300,000. By big names, we mean guys like Marc Pingris and Arwind Santos. Ex-PBA players who made it big in the MPBL like John Wilson and Wil McAloney are different stories and top players in the league like Orlan Wamar Jr. and Jaycee Marcelino are on a whole different story.
Source: Homer D. Sayson’s Column, spin
