The Canadian men's basketball team on Monday announced a group of players -- highlighted by two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -- who will serve as the initial roster for the national team in the upcoming 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics.
Qualifiers for the World Cup begin next month, with Canada set to face Puerto Rico and Jamaica in Ontario. Another qualifier will be held in Quebec City on August 31.
Gilgeous-Alexander will be joined on Team Canada by several other NBA players, including Thunder teammate Luguentz Dort, RJ Barrett (Raptors), Dillon Brooks (Suns), Bennedict Mathurin (Clippers) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks).
However there were notable omissions in Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray and Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, who will now not be on the World Cup or Olympic team.
According to new rules established by first-year coach Gordie Herbert and general manager Rowan Barrett, any players that could not give a three-year commitment in the runup to the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics Los Angeles would not be on the national team for those tournaments.
"If guys don't commit this summer, they're not in," Herbert said Monday.
Canada Basketball 🇨🇦 unveil their 24-man player pool for the upcoming windows of FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers. #FIBAWC (via @CanBball) pic.twitter.com/ifju1AAl62
Canada fell short of medaling at the 2024 Olympics after being eliminated by France in the quarterfinals but earned bronze in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
"To a certain extent, in the past, we used to say with the national team, get our best players to play. It's not enough," said Herbert, according to the CBC. "It's not enough. You need your best group of players to come in to the national team, commit to the program, commit to the time date.
"My definition of commitment is this a player, person who is focused on what he can give. These are the players we want."