JERSEY CITY, New Jersey – The Philippines’ 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto will play under newly named Osceola Magic head coach Dylan Murphy in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Philstar.com has learned.
Osceola Magic is Orlando’s G-League affiliate.
Sotto will fly to Orlando on June 30 and join the Magic Summer League team’s first practice under Murphy on July 2, as previously reported by Philstar.com.
Murphy has been with the Magic organization for the last five years, including three seasons as an assistant coach — one year with former Magic coach Steve Clifford and two under current head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Murphy joined the Magic organization in 2018 as a basketball operations analyst, providing analytics support to the coaching staff. He was promoted to assistant coach in 2020.
Murphy previously worked as an NBA G League scout for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2016-17 season. Before joining the Hawks, he spent three seasons as assistant coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA G League, where he helped them earn a back-to-back Finals trip.
In 2013-14, Murphy won an NBA G League title with the Mad Ants, who posted a league-best record of 34-16 during the regular season and went a perfect 6-0 run in the playoffs.
Murphy will guide a young Magic Summer League team, with Sotto as the lone big man so far.
Sotto joins the Magic’s lottery picks – 6-7 point guard Anthony Black and 6-8 shooter Jett Howard, son of former NBA player Juwan Howard – their two-way player 6-6 Kevon Harris, undrafted 6-5 prospect Dexter Dennis and 6-5 Drake Jeffries, who spent last season in the G League.
The Magic will play at least five games at the Thomas & Mack Center:
July 8 vs. Detroit 5:30 p.m. (July 9 5:30 a.m. Manila time) ESPN
July 10 vs. Indiana 8:30 p.m. (July 11 8:30 a.m. Manila time) NBA TV
July 12 vs. New York 8 p.m. (July 13 8 a.m. Manila time) ESPN2
July 13 vs. Portland 9 p.m. (July 14 9 a.m. Manila time) ESPN2
Fifth Game TBD (to be determined)
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Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for the New York-based website Heavy.com.