The Adelaide 36ers have announced the signing of young Filipino talent Kai Sotto, who will join the NBL club on a multi-year deal next season.
The 18-year-old, 218cm talent has attracted significant global interest in his junior years and more recently during his stint in the NBA's G-League, where he has been working out with Ignite in Florida. He joins the NBL under its Special Restricted Player rule provision.
"Kai is a young, emerging talent and we are pleased that he has chosen to sign with the 36ers," said Jeff Van Groningen, General Manager of Basketball at the 36ers. "He realises that he has work ahead of him as all rookies do when coming into this tough league but his combination of height and a developing skill-set give him every chance to raise his game. With hard work, his ceiling for growth is very high."
NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger also welcomed Sotto to the NBL.
"We are delighted to welcome Kai to the NBL to play with the Adelaide 36ers," said Loeliger. "The NBL is one of the best leagues in the world and a great league to develop players like Kai Sotto who want to take their game to the next level by playing alongside seasoned professional players in a super competitive league."
Sotto is already an emerging figure in the Philippine national basketball team and is expected to arrive in Australia later this year ahead of the 2021-22 NBL season.