Kai Sotto will not return to the NBA G League Ignite this season, the team announced Tuesday.
"Kai and the team both understood the challenges for him to rejoin Ignite given the current international travel constraints, quarantine times and health and safety protocols," said NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. "Kai will always be part of the extended Ignite family and we wish him continued success as he pursues his NBA dreams."
Sotto left G League Ignite in January to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the third window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers. The pandemic forced the games from the Philippines to Doha, Qatar, and then were postponed indefinitely. Sotto returned to the United States on Feb. 14.
G League Ignite coach Brian Shaw said he was supportive of Sotto rejoining the Philippines national team for the competition but acknowledged it was unlikely Sotto could return in time to rejoin G League Ignite for the later stages of the 15-game season.
"Unfortunately, a lot of it is during the time of when we're going to be in the bubble. And so we're just wishing him the best. We've worked with him up until the point that he left, and hopefully he'll be able to go there and perform well," Shaw said on Jan. 28.
G League Ignite is 5-3 playing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.