Jamal Murray undecided on World Cup as Canada Basketball reveals roster
Canada Basketball has announced an update to the Senior Men’s National Team roster ahead of the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup.
While the 13-player team will be participating in exhibition games in Germany and Spain over the next two weeks, providing an opportunity for players to prepare for the tournament, there is one notable absence from the travel roster.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray will not participate in the upcoming exhibition games as he continues to focus on his off-season recovery. The team has stated that a decision on the Kitchener native’s status for the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup will be made at a later date.
Additionally, both Cory Joseph and Kassius Robertson will not advance to the next phase of World Cup training.
The team’s medical staff has also ruled out Boston Celtics forward Oshae Brissett for the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup due to undisclosed reasons.
As of now, Canada’s full roster consists of:
- Kyle Alexander
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- RJ Barrett
- Trae Bell-Haynes
- Dillon Brooks
- Luguentz Dortz
- Zach Edey
- Melvin Ejim
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Kelly Olynyk
- Dwight Powell
- Phil Scrubb
- Thomas Scrubb
Exhibition games will begin with a matchup against Germany at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin on August 9. Following that, the Canadians will head to Hamburg for the Basketball Supercup on August 12 ad 13, where they will face New Zealand, while Germany takes on China in the semifinals.
The winners will advance to the finals on Sunday.
After the European exhibitions, Canada will travel to Spain for a two-game series against the defending FIBA Men’s World Cup champions, Spain, and the Dominican Republic, on August 17 and 18, respectively.
The FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup 2023 will be held from August 25 to September 10 and will feature the top 32 men’s teams from around the globe.
Canada can directly qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a top-two finish amongst teams from the Americas at the tournament.