Kai Sotto will have to make a tough decision in the coming days — join Gilas Pilipinas for the February window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers or remain with Ignite for the upcoming G League season.
This as the NBA’s second league has released a tentative schedule for its season that sees the entire month of February blocked off.
According to the schedule, training camp for all teams is set to open on January 29.
The shortened season itself begins on February 8 which will see Sotto and Ignite take on G League teams on almost a daily basis. The playoffs, on the other hand, begin on March 5.
Multiple NBA teams have backed out of financing their G League affiliates for this season.
NBA Draft hopefuls in Ignite are Sotto, Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd, Daishen Nix, and Princepal Singh. They are reinforced by Amir Johnson, Brandon Ashley, Bobby Brown, and Reggie Hearn.
Ignite head coach Brian Shaw has already expressed concern about Sotto leaving Ignite in February, saying that it would be better for his development if he remains in the US.
“I still believe that the competition he will be playing here in the bubble will be better competition than what he will be playing there,” he said.
Atlanta is being looked at as the host of the G League bubble.