The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is expecting a response from the organizers of the 2018 Asian Games and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) regarding the status of NBA player Jordan Clarkson soon.
Clarkson's name was included in the Philippine men's basketball team's 18-man roster submitted by the SBP to the Philippine Olympic Committee, which was then forwarded to the local organizing committee (LOC) in Indonesia, where the Asiad will be held from August 18 to September 2.
SBP president Al Panlilio exclusively told ESPN5 they are still waiting for an update on Clarkson's status.
"We included Clarkson on the list for clearance with OCA and the Indonesia LOC," he said in a message.
Panlilio added that the SBP is "concurrently negotiating" with Clarkson and reaffirmed that "he wants to play for Gilas."
As of posting, the SBP is also awaiting a response from the NBA and Clarkson's team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, if they will allow the release of the Filipino-American for the Asian Games.
"We are also seeking clearance from the Cavs and the NBA. Hopefully, all fall into place," Panlilio responded.
Rain or Shine players -- James Yap, Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, Chris Tiu and Raymond Almazan, among others -- comprise the bulk of the national team, which will be handled by NLEX coach Yeng Guiao.
On Wednesday, Guiao told ESPN5 he has a wishlist of players he would want to have for the Asian Games, such as Paul Lee, Jeff Chan, Marcio Lassiter and Stanley Pringle.
Whether or not Clarkson will be able to join the national squad, Guiao is facing a difficult challenge with just a little more than two weeks to prepare before competition starts.