Sotto will be facing stiff competition in Las Vegas.
It is all systems go for Kai Sotto for his NBA Summer League debut, having already arrived in Las Vegas with the Orlando Magic and getting one final practice in before they play their first game on Sunday.
And the 7-foot-3 slot man will be challenged right away by the Detroit Pistons’ Summer League squad, which will parade three bigs standing at least 6-foot-10. Actually, Sotto will be challenged the whole of Summer League, as he will be going up against some very capable big men in the Magic’s first four games.
With that being said, here are some of the bigs who will be testing the Philippines’ lanky lefty, who is aspiring to become the first full-bloodied, homegrown Filipino to make it to the NBA:
James Wiseman and Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
Filipino NBA fans have surely heard of the 7-foot Wiseman. The 22-year-old slot man spent his first year and a half in the league with the Golden State Warriors and was shipped to the Pistons late last season. Himself a lefty, Wiseman has shown tremendous upside in his young but injury-riddled career, compiling per game averages of 10.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in just about 20 minutes of action.
Duren, meanwhile, was the Pistons’ 13th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and he has emerged as a valuable rotation big with his athleticism and energy. An elite rim runner and paint protector, Duren averaged 9.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game last season as an 18-year-old getting spot starts.
Isaiah Jackson and Nate Laszewski, Indiana Pacers
The 6-9 Jackson, the Pacers 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, is an elite shot blocker and solid rebounder thanks to his above-average athleticism and crazy bounce. His per game averages of 7.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 0.6 assist make him one of the more productive bigs in Las Vegas, and he will likely anchor Indiana’s defense.
Laszewski, who went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, is a modern big—mobile, fleet-footed, and with a sweet touch from the perimeter. He averaged 10.0 points and 5.8 rebounds in his five-year college career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and he will be fighting for a roster spot as an undrafted free agent just like Sotto.
Justyn Hamilton and Dmytro Skapintsev, New York Knicks
Both undrafted free agents like Sotto, Hamilton and Skapinev give New York’s Summer League squad different looks at center. Hamilton, at 6-foot-11, is a great athlete and an inside operator, while Skapinev, a legit 7-foot-1 big man, is a typical European big: not the most athletic but very crafty and smart—and with a nice touch.
Christ Koumadje, John Butler Jr., and Ibou Badji, Portland Trailblazers
The Trailblazers’s frontcourt rotation is a mixed bag of prospects, but one thing is for certain: It is huge. Koumadje is 7-foot-4, Badji is 7-foot-1, and Butler is 7-foot 1 as well. If anything, that kind of size is sure to test any big this Summer League—Sotto included.
The wildcard: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
This one seems farfetched, but there’s a chance that Sotto will go head-to-head with the highly touted Victor Wembanyama, the top overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft who is already embroiled in controversy without even playing a single game yet for the Spurs. The Magic and Spurs will need to be among the top four teams after the first four games of the Summer League for that to happen. Now, that seems improbable, but it is not impossible.
But if things go the Sotto’s way, Wemby versus Kaiju sounds like a fun matchup, right?