Kai Sotto Declares for NBA Draft, Mock Drafts Not Looking Good

Filipino basketball phenom Kai Sotto declares for the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft Thursday, April 28, days after finishing his season with the Adelaide 36ers of the Australia National Basketball League (NBL).

The 7-foot-3 big man finished his first pro season with averages of 7.5 points per game on 50% shooting, 4.5 rebounds per game, 0.8 blocks per game, and 69% on free throws, playing at an average of just a little above 15 minutes per game.

Sotto in a statement on his social media asked Filipinos for prayers and support as he announced his declaration for the draft.

“Please pray for and support me during my quest to fulfill my ultimate dream,” the statement read.

His NBL team also supports Kai in his goal.

“We’re backing you all the way, Kai,” wrote Adelaide in a statement to show support to Sotto.

Meanwhile, Kai Sotto is not performing well on mock drafts even though he is previously projected to be a mid-to-late second-round pick.

This comes after mock drafts of multiple sports media organizations that have Sotto well below the top 60 players for this year’s draft class.

Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated do not include Sotto in their top 60 players of the 2022 draft class, while ESPN currently has Sotto as the 99th-best prospect in the draft class and the 11th best center in the pool. (GFB)