Saying he did not break any PBA rule, Japeth Aguilar declared he is ready to sit down for at least three months if the PBA won’t allow him to play for the Smart-Gilas developmental team.

The 6-foot-9 Aguilar is a member of the Smart Gilas team of coach Rajko Toromas that will play as a guest team in the PBA Philippine Cup which starts on Sunday.

Aguilar had refused to sign with Burger King after he was picked No. 1 overall during the PBA draft. His decision prompted Burger King team manager and current PBA chairman Lito Alvarez to propose before the PBA board that Aguilar be banned from all PBA games.

“Parang masama kasi para sa akin kapag tinanong ng Burger King, tapos I don’t want to play for them,” Aguilar said. “Pero ’yung rights ko nasa kanila pa rin. I just want to serve my country first, so it will be like two years (that Burger King own my rights). I know ’yun naman ’yung rule eh. As far as I know, wala ako bine-break na rule.

Aguilar said he’s very happy with Smart-Gilas.

“Hopefully things will go well, so sana maayos na lahat. I just want to stick with this team because I bonded with them well na. I just want to concentrate in this team talaga,” Aguilar added.

Toroman said Aguilar should be given the opportunity to play with the team when they start playing in the pro league because his happy where he is.

“He’s a very important player for us,” Toroman said. “Japeth likes to play for us, you saw that he’s really part of the team. He enjoys playing with us.”

“We still don’t know the situation with him what the PBA will decide,” Toroman said. “The decision is not in our hands, the decision is in the hands of PBA.”

“It’s really pity that this kind of player, one of the most potential players in the history of Philippine basketball will sit down for two, three months. But anyway we are ready. He is ready also to sit down. He will sit two months and then we’ll go internationally and then he will play,” he added.