Sedrick Barefield is staying with the Blackwater Bossing. That is, at least for now.
The Bossing had previously put the explosive Fil-Am guard on the trading block as his contract is set to expire this July. However, Blackwater has yet to find a deal it likes as of this writing, prompting management to shelve trade talks for now.
Barefield Stays On for Now
With no trade imminent, Barefield will be donning the Blackwater jersey this PBA Governors’ Cup until further notice. That’s thanks to a PBA rule that allows a team to automatically extend a player’s contract until at least the end of a conference if no extension is signed.
However, Barefield’s status after the Governors’ Cup is still up in the air, with The Manila Times reporting that a contract extension beyond Season 50 could be contingent on how the second overall pick of the 2024 PBA Draft performs this conference.
“We want to see how he plays this conference,” said Blackwater team manager Johnson Martinez.
One of the Best in the PBA
While Blackwater hasn’t found a trade to its liking, it doesn’t mean Barefield isn’t in demand—because he is. In fact, he has been linked to various teams already, including the TNT Tropang 5G, the San Miguel bloc, and even the Converge FiberXers.
However, with perennial winner Pat Aquino now at the helm, the Bossing appear to be steering clear of a lopsided deal and instead are searching for more equal trade value for their superstar. This is likely one major reason no deal for Barefield has been consummated thus far.
Whatever the case may be, whether he’s playing for Blackwater or any other team, Barefield is no doubt one of the best players in the PBA. Just last conference, in fact, he averaged 21.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, and looked even better playing for Aquino.
Needless to say, whichever team Barefield plays for will have a superstar in its midst.
