MANILA, Philippines -- Serbian coach Nenad Vučinić is already working with the Gilas Pilipinas national team, with the blessing of former head coach Tab Baldwin.

This, according to new coach Chot Reyes who was tapped to replace Baldwin last January 31.

"I've spoken a lot with Coach Nenad, who's here with us, and he spoke to Tab before coming over. He got the blessings of Tab," Reyes told former PBA commissioner Noli Eala in a recent appearance on "Power and Play.

Vučinić, 56, is a friend of Baldwin's who was set to serve as a consultant for Gilas Pilipinas in their campaign in the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.

His role was put in question when Baldwin was replaced as head coach, but Reyes was open to working with him and welcomed Vučinić to their recent camp at the Malarayat Golf and Country Club.

Vučinić, who was Baldwin's assistant with the New Zealand national basketball team the early 2000s, also briefly met with Sonny Barrios, the executive director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

"Nagkakuwentuhan kami ng matagal nila Coach Chot, team manager Butch Antonio, senior assistant coach Jong Uichico, si Coach Josh Reyes at ako, and then Coach Nenad joined us shortly," said Barrios, who visited Gilas at their camp in Batangas.

For Reyes, Vučinić's presence in the Gilas program is also proof of their willingness to continue working with Baldwin.

According to the SBP, Baldwin opted to step down from his post in Gilas in order to focus on Ateneo de Manila University's campaign in the upcoming UAAP season.

But Reyes said he is "very, very open to continued consultation and discussion with coach, consulting him, and working with him."

Before being named head coach of Gilas for the first time in 2016, Baldwin had previously served as a consultant to Reyes as well.

"The fact that Coach Nenad is here, who is hand-picked by Tab, who's a very, very close friend of Tab, shows our desire to provide that continuity," Reyes said.

"Kasi 'yun ang natutunan natin in the previous iterations of Gilas, 'di ba? Na hindi pwede 'yung putol-putol eh. 'Di ba? Kailangan, there has to be continuity. And so, same thing here. We cannot say, 'Op, tapos na 'yung ganoon.' Hindi. There has to be continuity, there has to be flow on the way to 2023," he added.

Reyes will call the shots for Gilas Pilipinas in the upcoming window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers, set for February 24-28 at the Araneta Coliseum.