FILE– Kai Sotto during his stint with Adelaide 36ers. –ADELAIDE 36ERS PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Sports Illustrated has projected Kai Sotto as the No.49 overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in its mock draft for the 2022 NBA Draft.
United States-based reporter Brett Siegel predicted that the 7-foot-3 center will be drafted by Sacramento in the second round.
Sports Illustrated was the only media outlet in the US that projected the homegrown Filipino talent to get drafted. ESPN, NBA Draft Room, SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Yahoo Sports, The Ringer, The Athletic, CBS Sports, and USA Today didn’t list Sotto.
The Adelaide 36ers center is set to work out with the New York Knicks and other NBA teams before the draft.
The 20-year-old big man had an impressive Australia’s National Basketball League stint, averaging 7.6 points on 51-percent field goals including a 39-percent shooting from deep and had 4.5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 15.2 minutes in 23 games.
Sotto will try to become the first Filipino homegrown talent to be drafted into the NBA on June 23 in Brooklyn.