Shrugging off rumors that Aguilar will be playing for the Texters in the coming PBA finals against San Miguel, Reyes said Aguilar is just practicing with the team as part of his rehab program to heal his right knee.

TNT is Aguilar’s mother team but he is on loan to Smart Gilas Pilipinas which is also being funded by TNT owner Manny V. Pangilinan.

“This is part of his rehab,” TNT coach Chot Reyes said. “Aside from his strengthening and physical conditioning, it also needs basketball component. But he’s too far, maybe he’s just 60-65 percent ready.”

“He needs a couple of months to be able to go full contact scrimmage, let alone be in a b sketball shoes,” he said.

Although there is a possibility for the one-time Western Kentucky University (WKU) player to join the Tropang Texters inthe Commissioner’s Cup next month, Reyes said he’s not thinking about it right now.

“I still don’t know. We are not thinking of him… too early,” said Reyes.

Aguilar joined the Rookie Draft in 2009 and was selected No. 1 by Burger King (now Air21). After playing a single game, he was traded to TNT, which loaned him to Smart-Gilas.

In the previous Guangzhou Asian Games, however, Aguilar did not play a game due to a nagging injury.

Waylon Galvez, Manila Bulletin