The PBA Season 50 Draft is set. 

A total of 128 players officially applied for the draft, which takes place on September 7 and among the long list of hopefuls, guard Juan Gomez de Liano stands out as one of this year’s headline prospects. 

Gomez de Liano, who made a name for himself during his three-year stint with the UP Fighting Maroons in the UAAP, is returning to Philippine basketball after spending the past four years playing in various leagues both locally and overseas.

Now 25 years old, he is finally set to join the PBA and many expect him to be drafted first overall by the Terrafirma Dyip. The 6’0 Gomez de Liano is one of the most dynamic young guards of his generation and his tall stature relative to other local backcourt players should allow him to quickly become one of the top players in the league. 

The time he spent abroad should be invaluable as he transitions to the country’s top professional league. He has played in Japan’s B.League, the Lithuanian Basketball League, and most recently the Korean Basketball League’s (KBL) Seoul SK Knights.

In Korea, he was the Knights’ Asian import and helped them reach last season’s KBL Finals, where they fell short against fellow UP alumnus Carl Tamayo and the Changwon LG Sakers. A few months ago, the team bought out the final year of his contract and replaced him with fellow Filipino and former PBA player Arvin Tolentino.

Gomez de Liano has also suited up for Mighty Sports in the Dubai International Basketball Tournament, the PBA D-League, the MPBL and the ASEAN Basketball League.

Barring a surprise return to the B.League or KBL, the PBA figures to be a more permanent home for the former Fighting Maroon. If the Dyip do draft him first overall, he could step in as the starting point guard alongside newly acquired Jerrick Ahanmisi, who arrived two weeks ago from the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots in exchange for his older brother, Javi.

If Gomez de Liano can prove himself a worthy starting-caliber guard in the PBA, he could soon be elevated to one of the three San Miguel Corporation teams like many successful members of Terrafirma before him. Among the three official San Miguel teams, Magnolia and the San Miguel Beermen could use some help in the backcourt given that their mainstays are now approaching the tail end of their respective careers.

Draft night is just the beginning of Gomez de Liano’s PBA journey. He’s logged miles both overseas and around the local circuit. Once he settles into the PBA, it should only be a matter of time before he becomes one of the faces of the league.