Former NBA aspirant Kai Sotto is leaving Australia’s National Basketball League. Earlier today, Sotto is reportedly accepting a new offer from another overseas league. According to his team, the Adelaide 36ers, Kai has agreed to a deal during the league’s offseason. Following the 2022 NBA draft where Kai went undrafted, the 7-foot-2 big man from the Philippines said that it is high time for him to take another opportunity.
“A new opportunity for me is really good and another opportunity for me to play basketball, I’m excited,” Sotto said. “I didn’t want to spend a lot of time not playing, I’m lucky I’ve been offered this deal.”
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Kai Sotto played 27 games for the 36ers in the 2022-2023 season where he only averaged 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds. This is mainly due to his lack of playing time given that he only steps on the court for about 12 minutes per game. Although he is already a sophomore in the NBL, his playing time went down from last year (from 15 mpg to 12 mpg). In his Instagram account, Kai Sotto confirmed his departure from the team as well as the league.
Which league is Kai Sotto taking his talents to?
According to various reports, Sotto will be moving to where most Filipino rising basketball stars are headed – Japan. The 20-year-old center is set to hit the stage in the Japan B-League where he will get to reunite with some of his former Gilas Pilipinas teammates like Dwight Ramos, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., Carl Tamayo, and the Ravena brothers (Kiefer and Thirdy).
As reported by Rappler, Kai will be following in the footsteps of his fellow Filipinos and go straight to the B-League under the Hiroshima Dragonflies. The Dragonflies previously signed another Filipino, Justine Baltazar, as their own import. Since Baltazar was already relieved of his position on the team, Kai Sotto may just be the perfect replacement. As to when shall Sotto move, the 36ers mentioned on their website that “Sotto will join his new team in the not-too-distant future”.
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Although Kai Sotto only played limited minutes with the Adelaide 36ers, he still was able to contribute well to the team.
In 2 seasons, Kai averaged 7.1 points and 4.5 rebounds across 50 games. The only thing that limited his production was his playing time and touches to the ball. If you watch his games, it’s evident that the young big man needed more touches for him to be more effective.
Last year, he announced that he will be joining the NBA draft. Kai had a few workouts with teams in the league like the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, and many others. Despite the exposure and the support of his fellow countrymen, Kai Sotto still went undrafted. However, the phenomenal kid out of the Philippines is still in pursuit of his NBA dreams, and by moving to another league, he is looking to improve his level even more. Japan could be the perfect place for Kai to dominate. He could also get more playing time and become an All-Star, just like his Gilas teammates.
Are you excited about Kai Sotto’s next journey? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us, here at Spiel Times.
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