CHICAGO - After a hectic few weeks where he traveled to different airports, time zones and gyms across America, Kai Sotto has arrived at the most excruciating part of his ongoing NBA journey.
The waiting game.
After a two-day mini camp with the Knicks in New York last Tuesday and Wednesday, the 7-foot-3 big is now back in Los Angeles to stay in game shape and resume training, his camp told SPIN.ph.
He is never far from his cellphone, the means with which he will find out if he is headed to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League, easily the greatest, biggest open audition in all of pro basketball.
READ: One year later, Kai considers himself a better player
The 21-year old former Adelaide 36er and current Hiroshima Dragonfly reportedly "did well" in his workout with the Utah Jazz last May 30 and 31.
At the Mavericks camp in Dallas last June 5 and 6, he caught the eye of team owner Mark Cuban who told me via email that Sotto "played really well."
What about the Big Apple, did Kai get a good bite out of it?
"Waiting to hear back (from the Knicks) and doing the right protocol." said Tony Ronzone of Wasserman Sports, the well-connected sports agency which has been charting Sotto's path to the NBA.
WORLD CUP AVAILABILITY.
Even if Kai gets the coveted Summer League call-up, the window remains wide open for him to join Gilas Pilipinas in the upcoming 2023 World Cup to be held in Manila this August.
Both sides are communicating now, I am told, and the Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas (SBP) is just waiting for Kai's representation (East West Private) to give the basketball federation "an update" on Kai's availability.
A source from SBP who declined to be named, however, reiterated a timeline for the former Ateneo high school star to join Gilas practice.
"Naiintindihan namin kung lalaro siya sa Summer League but if he wants to play for Gilas in the World Cup we want him to come here right after that. So that would be around July 19 or sooner," the source emphasized while citing that the Las Vegas tournament runs from July 7 to July 17.
A breakdown in the negotiations caused Kai to miss the February window of the World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Will money be an issue again this time around?
Gilas team manager and SBP's deputy executive director Butch Antonio has been tasked to handle the financial side of the situation and he politely declined to reveal whatever progress, if any, has been made.
"I'll update you as soon as something comes up," he told me in a brief telephone interview.
And so we wait.
Just like Kai Sotto.
FASTBREAK. As previously reported here, there is no certainty yet as to whether Kai will indeed receive an invite from the Dallas Mavericks. The team is doing its due diligence evaluating the prospects who went to their tryouts and they are not rushing things.
But expectation is that, whether it's with the Jazz, Mavs or Knicks, Kai will get one of the 15 roster spots in one of the aforementioned teams.
A non-invite will be a huge surprise.
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