MANILA, Philippines — Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted it was hard letting go of experienced big man Christian Standhardinger, but when the Filipino-German requested for a trade, that's the time the team started to consider other options.

"We didn't always see eye to eye and he (Standhardinger) was not always happy, but he always worked hard to understand our system and do what we asked of him," Cone told The Manila Times, just a few hours after news broke out in social media that the Gin Kings have officially shipped the veteran big man and guard Stanley Pringle to Terrafirma in exchange for Stephen Holt and Isaac Go. "Once he requested a trade from the team, however, it was hard to step away from that."

The PBA's all-time winning coach bared that their 2-for-2 trade that also involved swapping first round picks with the Dyip in time for Sunday's PBA Rookie Draft, "will make the Dyip an immediate contender."

But that move was also a "step back" for the league's most popular team.

"We looked for a trade (with other teams) but bedsides trading him for June Mar (Fajardo), who could you trade Christian straight up for? We realize we're taking a step back without Christian," reasoned the 66-year-old Ginebra coach.

"He's an awesome player and will make Terrafirma an immediate contender. In the meantime we will continue our rebuild with younger players."

At 35, Standhardinger remains a solid front court player as evidenced by his double-double averages of over 19 points and 10 rebounds with Ginebra in Season 48.

Cone said Standhardinger is a consummate pro he's been around with.

"I have nothing but good things to say about Christian. He was one of the most professional players I've ever been around, and he worked hard all the time," Cone emphasized.

Standhardinger, who won two PBA titles with Ginebra since arriving in March 2021 through a straight-up trade that sent Greg Slaughter to NorthPort, easily brings in the experience and inside presence Terrafirma needs as the Dyip try to build on their surprising playoff run in the Philippine Cup this past season.

Pringle, meanwhile, adds veteran backcourt presence and solid scoring for Terrafirma as he pairs with vastly-improved Juami Tiongson.