“It was never about money with Kai.”
That was the statement of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Ricky Vargas.
Sotto’s FIBA record tells the story.
Despite being only 23 years old, the 7-foot-3 center has already played in 50 national team games, including 20 caps in the senior division.
(C) B.League
However, even after a month of playing for Koshigaya—where he is averaging 11.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks across eight games this season—Sotto had to skip Window 2 of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers as he continues to recover from the ACL injury he sustained a year ago.
His participation in Window 3 remains uncertain—but for a different, yet equally commendable, reason.
Although he went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, Sotto is still chasing his NBA dream.
He can either try out for an NBA team in the NBA Summer League, which starts on July 6—overlapping with Window 3 on July 3 and 6—or take a longer path by committing to an NCAA Division I program.
The NCAA’s rules on amateurism have evolved over the past two years, allowing players to compete in college as long as they have not signed an NBA contract.
This season, several former G League players have returned to college basketball, including James Nnaji of Baylor and Ignite product Thierry Darlan of Santa Clara. Another former Ignite standout, London Johnson, is set to play for Louisville in the 2026-27 season.
Former EuroLeague players have also taken the collegiate route.
Italian winger Dame Sarr, who suited up for FC Barcelona a year ago, is now in Duke; Montenegrin guard Luka Bogavac, previously with SC Derby, is now in North Carolina; while Serbian point guard Mihailo Petrović, who played for Mega Superbet, is now in Illinois.
Photo from G League Ignite
Sotto originally bypassed the collegiate system in 2020 when he chose to join G League Ignite.
(C) Adelaide 36ers
The former Ateneo Blue Eaglet then went on to play for NBL club Adelaide as a “special restricted player,” followed by Hiroshima and Yokohama in the 2023-24 B.League season, and is now with Koshigaya.
(C) Orlando Magic/NBAE
In 2023, he also joined Orlando’s Summer League team.
The SBP is aware of Sotto’s plans, but nothing has been finalized yet. If he joins an NCAA Division I program after the B.League season, he will likely be unavailable for Gilas from November to March.
Still, the SBP supports whatever path Sotto chooses to pursue in achieving his NBA dream.
“Depende sa outcome sa pagsali niya sa eskwelahan. His plans are still towards going to the NBA. Pero kailangan natin siya. It’s hard to fault him because it’s not about the money; he wants to play (in the NBA),” said Vargas.
“Playing for the country and sacrificing your dreams is notable. Going for your dream and representing the country is also notable. Both are correct.”
