MANILA, Philippines -- Kai Sotto's presence in the NBA G League will help raise the profile of the developmental competition in the Philippines, says the managing director of NBA Asia.

Sotto, 18, decided to forego the college route in May and instead joined the G League, where he will play for Ignite together with other elite prospects. Among them is Jalen Green, a five-star recruit who traces his roots to the Philippines as well.

"We share the excitement of all Filipinos with Jalen Green and Kai Sotto, who's an alumnus of the Jr. NBA Philippines program in partnership with Alaska, as they make their debuts next season with the NBA G-League Ignite," said Scott Levy, the managing director of NBA Asia.

The Philippines is among the biggest markets in the world for the NBA, having given the league its largest average audience in international markets through the conference semifinals.

While Sotto and Green are in the G League in order to prepare themselves for their future NBA careers, Levy believes that the G League will also greatly benefit from their presence.

• LOOK: Kai Sotto officially starts G-League journey
• READ: Kai Sotto, the 'best young player from Asia,' officially welcomed to G-League

"For Filipino fans who love basketball at every level, whether it's the UAAP or PBA, the G League presents another opportunity to follow a league which has an incredibly high level of basketball, and to have a local hero, like Kai Sotto," he explained.

"I think it's gonna be very exciting," he added.

Levy promised that they will do what they can to make sure that Filipinos can watch Sotto's games and track his progress in the G League when its season starts.

There are so far no set plans for the start of the new G League season.

There were reports last month that the league is planning to hold a tournament inside a "bubble," similar to what is being done by the NBA, in November or December.

"We're gonna do everything we can to make sure that his games are featured in the Philippines and people can follow him," Levy guaranteed. "Through our social media, we'll also make sure that you can stay closely connected to him."

"Even though he's gonna be in the US, he's still gonna be in the hearts of Filipinos, so we'll make sure that you can stay connected," he added.

Aside from Sotto and Green, the Ignite team also features Jonathan Kuminga, India's Princepal Singh, Daishen Nix, and Isaiah Todd. Former NBA coach Brian Shaw will call the shots for the squad.