Kai Sotto again added to Gilas pool for Asia Cup, OQT bids

Former NBA G League prospect Kai Sotto has once again been added by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the 2020 FIBA Asia Cup final qualifying window and the Tokyo Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

This development comes after the SBP announced that it would only field Gilas cadets for the aforementioned tournaments due to a new conflict with the upcoming PBA season this April.

“He is part of the list, so we just have to talk to him again,” said SBP president Al Panlilio in a PBA press conference.

“We have not finalized the calendar yet, but once we do, we will share with him what the plan is, and depending on what he is doing, align it with ours,” he added.

Following an unproductive stretch here in the Philippines with the national team that ultimately cost his spot with the NBA G League Ignite, Sotto is once again back in the US, according to the last update by his handlers East West Private. (READ: After bungled G League exit, what’s next for Kai Sotto?)

Although Sotto himself has not said anything since the final Asia Cup qualifying window was postponed, his camp has shown strong willingness to commit to national team duties, even at the cost of NBA-caliber opportunities.

Time will tell if they still have the same commitment after everything that has happened since their last big decision.

“Like I said in the past, he is welcome to join us, and he is really a part of the pool,” Panlilio continued.

Gilas is tentatively set to start training at the end of March. – Rappler.com