By ADAM ZAGORIA
Kai Sotto recently returned to the U.S. from his native Philippines and he will now have ample opportunities to impress NBA teams ahead of next month’s NBA Draft.
The 7-foot-3 big man who turned 20 on Wednesday has a dozen workouts beginning with the Knicks starting May 23, league sources said. He was not invited to next week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, and is currently training in Atlanta.
Sotto, who spent part of the 2020-21 season with NBA G League Ignite alongside current NBA players Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors) and Jalen Green (Rockets) is trying to become the first Filipino to make it to the NBA.
He spent last season in Australia’s National Basketball League, averaging 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Adelaide 36ers, who finished seventh in the 10-team tournament with a 10-18 record.
ESPN.com ranks him as the 100th best available player in the draft, while Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated do not have him in their list of top 60 and top 100 players, respectively.
Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith and Duke’s Paolo Banchero are expected to be the top 3 picks in the June 23 NBA Draft — though not necessarily in that order.
This post was updated at 4:50 p.m. on May 20.
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram
