THOUGHTS | IMPORTS AND SPORTS AGENTS

Quentin Millora-Brown is back with Gilas Pilipinas, and suddenly there’s a flicker of optimism heading into our matchups against Australia and New Zealand. With Kai Sotto out, QMB was poised to shoulder the responsibility of battling the bruising Oceania bigs inside.

But just when things seemed to fall into place, contract complications entered the picture. If you’ve seen sports dramas like Jerry Maguire, Draft Day, or The Replacements, you probably have an idea where this is headed.

Negotiations.

Leverage.

Timing.

These can change everything.

So I checked out QMB's sports agent, Tod Seidel, on RealGM. Turns out, he has eight names listed as clients. The name that stands out is Norvel Pelle, a big man who had seen action for the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, and Sacramento Kings. Jarrell Brantley, who spent his entire NBA career with the Jazz, is also on his client list. Jaylan Gainey and Garrett Denbow are in the NBA G-League right now, but aside from Brantley, who is stylin' and profilin' in Nagasaki Velca, they aren't doing much right now.

Look, I am not hating on agents. If you're a player in need of opportunities, sports agents are important to give you what you need and what you deserve. That said, they also have a tendency to go overboard. For the longest time, QMB has been adamant about playing for Gilas Pilipinas, and all of a sudden, he's here in need of just compensation.

It’s also interesting to note that Seidel is not from here. We’ve had foreign sports agents since the start of the PBA, but I’m not sure if most of them truly understand just how basketball-rabid our country is.

At times, we’ve seen imports who, despite our reputation, didn’t realize that the PBA is extremely physical. They end up shocked that they have to log insane minutes—and that even a 30-point, 20-rebound game can be considered a bad outing if the hired guns can’t deliver wins.

I think the QMB camp overplayed their hand, and in some ways, so did the Gilas group. However, unlike in most contract negotiations, this is the national team we are talking about. The amount of backlash a player gets from resisting the country's need to win over other countries is almost synonymous to treason.

Just look at Justine Baltazar. When both his and Gilas' side had a misunderstanding, we saw him as the dude who wouldn't give a shit about our international glory. Yes, it took time before all sides got on the same page, but when QMB was out, and he walked right in, it felt like Balti's the one to heal our wounds. Now, regardless of whether he makes the team or not, at least we can see him as the insurance policy at the frontline that Gilas desperately needs.

And look at the reports when both camps reached an agreement. There was one account that allegedly said that SBP went directly to QMB's camp, unlike when the same camp was pissed in SBP's "take it or leave it" offer. Again, the sports agents are there to give the players the best deal, but I think in the long run, the national team is the best chance for non-NBA players to get what they are looking for.

I am not going to sugarcoat this part. Just look at Thirdy Ravena and Bobby Ray Parks. With their skills, especially Parks, they should have been priority national team ballers. However, now they are seen by other Southeast Asian countries as part of "Team C." Once upon a time, we saw them as future god-tier ballers, but nowadays, we look at them as players who can be "part of an expanded pool."

Again, the thing about playing as imports is that they are always going to be treated differently. When Thirdy was trailblazing in Japan, he was the sheesh. When his role became different in Dubai, I bet the organization there didn't give a hoot about how big he was in the country. When Billy Ray Bates scoring numbers dropped 20 points lower than his previous stint, he was dropped unceremoniously in the middle of the conference. And all the controversy surrounding Jamie Malonzo's move from Ginebra to Japan went for naught when the Kyoto Hannaryz thought it was best for both parties to go their separate ways.

QMB will always find his way to the top Asian leagues no matter what. However, his reputation will take a hit if his camp says anything that would feel like he's looking for money. Kai Sotto is the primary center, but he has a valid reason. He was absent for most of the year, and he needs to honor his Koshigaya contract. I mean, if the Alphas are cautious with Kai, then I doubt if they'll let him get physical with the Aussies. For QMB, the best reason is for Chiba to just keep their newly signed player injury-free. Sure, it may not really be the case, but at least it's still a valid reason.

Not contract issues.

We have seen this with the likes of Mikey Williams, and it was a PR nightmare for the players.

In the end, QMB is going to play for Gilas Pilipinas, and this is important. The best result for QMB is just to ball out and get bank with his skills. No offense to Guam, and I know the Chamorros did everything to try to win against Gilas, but I don't think Guam is the best yardstick to look for further monetary compensation.

Of course, the organization will find ways to lowball players, but if the player did enough to warrant a contract, then it's on Gilas Pilipinas for letting a top player walk out.

And if you know Quentin Millora-Brown's game—a 6'10" double-double magnet who could potentially become the top pick in the 2027 PBA Draft if he decides to enter—I can see him getting paid sooner rather than later.