Kai Sotto joins NBA Draft

MANILA – Kai Sotto, seen as the future face of Philippine basketball, has entered the NBA Draft.

In a statement through Instagram on Thursday, the 7-foot-3 wunderkind announced that he will join the event scheduled on June 24 (Philippine Time) in New York City.

“I have declared for the 2022 NBA Draft. Please pray for and support me during my quest to fulfill my ultimate dream,” Sotto said.

Sotto played limited minutes off the bench for the Adelaide 36ers for most of the National Basketball League regular season, but he got more minutes in his past few games when the team already knew about his fate of making the playoffs.

He averaged 7.5 points on 50 percent field goals including 38 percent from long range, 4.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.3 steals in a little over 15 minutes a game this season.

However, Sotto averaged 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks a night in what could be his last two games as a 36er, both ending up in wins.

Before that, he went for a pro career-high 21 points in a gallant stand against the Brisbane Bullets.

Questions surrounded Sotto’s future overnight when he was not listed in the early entry applicants for the draft.

But the 19-year-old Sotto, who suited up for G-League Ignite before taking his talents to Australia, was declared “auto-eligible” for the draft, paving the way for him to throw his name in without any hitch.