Gilas Pilipinas will be without its tallest player in the FIBA Asia Cup in August as Kai Sotto needs to honor his commitment with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia.

The 7-foot-3 Sotto will soon join the 36ers, who are gearing up for the upcoming NBL season.

“We were told that Kai would be fulfilling his commitments with Adelaide,” said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) special assistant to the president Ryan Gregorio.

“His management team informed us that Kai is bound to join his new team as soon as possible.”

Sotto will also not fly with the national team to Jordan for the King Abdullah Cup, which is a part of the Filipinos’ buildup for the Asia Cup.

The Philippines will face host Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Egypt in the King Abdullah Cup slated to run from July 25 to August 3.

“With this development, we are moving forward with our preparations without Kai,” Gregorio said.

Sotto has shown promise in his first couple of games as a member of the senior national squad.

The 19-year-old averaged 9.3 points and 7 rebounds in three games as he helped Gilas Pilipinas sweep its group in the Asia Cup Qualifiers.

He then normed 9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where the Philippines lost to host Serbia and Dominican Republic. – Rappler.com