Sotto agent says ‘Kai fortunate to join 3 mini camps’

Young big man Kai Sotto's NBA dream continues to move in the right direction as the 7-foot-2 slotman is scheduled to join the New York Knicks mini camp from June 13-14 at the team's Westchester practice facility.

Sotto's handler, Tony Ronzone of Wasserman Sports Management, said Sotto's mini camp with the Knicks will be his last, while they are hoping for the best for the Gilas member, who over the last two and a half years, has toiled in Australia and Japan's professional leagues.

Kai Sotto FIBA PHOTO

“This will the last one (in New York), so we have one more to go,” Ronzone told sports analyst Quinito Henson in the sports YouTube channel PlayitrightTV.

Ronzone said usually, NBA prospects get a maximum two mini camp experiences, but Sotto's case is unique.

“The guys usually have 1 or 2, but Kai's been fortunate we get him to top 3 mini camps and so he's able to learn, listen to different coaches, the terminology, learning to be a pro,” explained the American agent.

Sotto, who recently inked a fresh deal to play for the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the Japan B.League, has had mini camps with the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks, before this latest scheduled camp with the Knicks.

“No one's allowed to be at these facilities when he's there, but just the coaches and scouts, the front office,” explained Ronzone. “They go through situations for him, they check his basketball IQ, they want to know how hard he plays, and does he have a care factor, so all of these stuffs are really important.”

Sotto, who is part of the 21-man Gilas pool preparing for the FIBA World Cup, felt he did well in the Mavericks mini camp compared to the one he first had with the Jazz.

In fact, he noted that he had to feel his way through with the Jazz camp, though by the time he got to the Mavs, he was already adjusting well.

“For me, it was fun, and a great experience all along,” Sotto shared. “And those mini camps, 20 plus of us, these past 2 teams, we just played a lot of 5 on 5, the coaches and scouts were looking at how players adapt to new teams, new systems and new plays, and how hard they play which Tony talked about,” recounted Sotto.

The American agent is optimistic with Sotto's potential, noting the 7-foot-2 “is wanted by some teams.”