2023 World Cup Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bucks’ Bobby Portis Talks Team USA, Contract, Griffin

August 16th, 2023 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks big man Bobby Portis is one of 12 players suiting up for the USA Basketball team that will compete in the 2023 World Cup that tips off next week.

Speaking to Sam Yip of HoopsHype, Portis said that it has been “pretty great” representing his country in international competition so far and that the team is still focused on building chemistry and adjusting to the FIBA rules as it gears up for group play.

In his conversation with Yip, Portis also addressed his role as Team USA’s de facto veteran leader, the Bucks’ new head coach, and a handful of other topics. Here are a few highlights:

On what’s expected of him as Team USA’s elder statesman at age 28:

“Man, I just come in every day and be Bobby Portis. That’s all I know how to be, since day one, in my time in the league, man. I’ve never changed who I am, stay true to myself, work on my game each and every year and get better. And try to be a leader working on my leadership qualities over the last three, four years in the league, especially when I got to the Bucks being around great savvy vets like Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Brook Lopez, Jrue [Holiday], Khris [Middleton], all my guys. The core group of guys, those guys, let me kind of be myself. Let me have a voice. And it’s been cool, man. So, my role on this team is to be Bobby, man. It’s all I know how to be.”

On whether signing a four-year, $48.6MM contract in 2022 gave him a sense of validation:

“I mean, yeah, but every year is a prove-it year, man. Just because you got a deal doesn’t mean you got to stop working and keep building brick by brick. Keep chopping wood and carrying water, that’s the motto. Can’t get complacent, can’t get comfortable in the league.

“There are 40, 50, 60 guys that want to have a guaranteed spot every year on a new team. And there’s gonna be 40, 50, 60 guys that are going to get pushed out. So gotta keep getting better each and every year. Can’t be satisfied with whatever you need to be. Whether it is $20 million, $100 million, $200 million. Gotta keep going. Gotta keep chopping wood and getting better.”

On what he hopes new head coach Adrian Griffin brings to Milwaukee:

“I don’t like to compare the past and the future, but I just hope he lets us be us, and be the player-driven team. We have a lot of guys on our team that’s done this before, so we kind of know what it takes to get to that next level. Our biggest thing on the Bucks is just staying healthy. No matter who it is that’s coaching whatever it is, we got to be healthy.”

Jamal Murray Won’t Play In 2023 World Cup

August 16th, 2023 at 7:30am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray won’t play for Team Canada in the 2023 World Cup, Canada Basketball announced today on its official website.

Murray reported to training camp for the Canadian national team, but his status for the FIBA World Cup was always considered to be up in the air due to his lengthy postseason run in Denver this spring. He was ruled out for Canada’s first few exhibition games in Germany and now won’t be part of the squad that travels to Indonesia to begin its group play schedule on August 25.

“When I came into training camp, I wanted to see how my body would respond after a long and demanding season and if I would be physically able to compete at the highest level required for the World Cup,” Murray said in a statement. “In consultation with medical staff and the team, it is clear that additional recovery is required, and I have made the difficult decision to not participate in the tournament.

“It’s still a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics, and I will support the team every step of the way as they pursue this goal.”

Canada would qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris – and give Murray a chance to suit up for the club next summer – by placing as one of the top two teams from the Americas in the World Cup. Obviously, Team USA will be Canada’s top competition in that field, but several others – the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil – will be vying for one of those top two spots.

Although the Canadian team – led by NBA players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, and Luguentz Dort – is a deep and talented one, the group doesn’t have much experience playing together in international competitions, so clinching an Olympic berth next month is far from a lock. The first step will be reaching the knockout stage of the tournament with a top-two finish in a group that also features France, Latvia, and Lebanon.

Kristaps Porzingis To Miss World Cup Due To Foot Issue

August 15th, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Kristaps Porzingis, who was traded this offseason from the Wizards to the Celtics, won’t suit up for Latvia in the 2023 World Cup, he confirmed today in a post on Twitter.

“It is difficult, I feel very responsible to myself and the supporters of the Latvian national team, but a decision has been made that I will not play in the World Cup,” Porzingis wrote in Latvian. “After several weeks of recovery and a repeat MRI examination, the plantar fasciitis of my foot still prevents me from being on the field in full readiness.

“This joint decision has been made by both the medical staff and coaching staff of the national team, as well as the Celtics team – with the advice and opinion that it is now necessary to continue the recovery process. Such a decision is not easy to make, but I promise that I will be there and support the team as much as I can.”

Reporting last week from Rupert Fabig of BIG Deutschland indicated that Porzingis was dealing with a foot issue and that there were concerns about his availability for the World Cup. The Latvian national team disputed that report at the time, but it appears Fabig’s information was accurate.

While it’s good news that Porzingis isn’t dealing with a significant break or tear in his foot, plantar fasciitis is still a painful ailment that can linger for quite some time. There’s no indication yet that the big man’s availability for the start of training camp or the NBA regular season is up in the air, but it will be an issue worth monitoring leading up to the fall.

The Celtics acquired Porzingis in a three-team trade that sent Marcus Smart to Memphis after the veteran forward/center picked up his $36MM player option for the 2023/24 season. Boston subsequently signed Porzingis to a two-year extension that will keep him under team control through ’25/26.

International Notes: Batum, Randle, Lithuania, Tubelis

August 15th, 2023 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers forward Nicolas Batum is playing for France at this year’s World Cup and intends to suit up for the national team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. However, next year’s Olympics tournament is expected to be the last time Batum represents France in an international competition.

Batum’s wife, Lily Batum, indicated in a tweet that the veteran NBA wing will retire from France’s national team after the 2024 Olympics. Her tweet also suggested that Nicolas will retire as an NBA player following the final year of his contract with the Clippers, though she later clarified in a follow-up tweet that that decision hasn’t been made yet.

Batum, who entered the NBA in 2008 and has spent 15 seasons in the league, will turn 35 later this year. He has spent the last three seasons with the Clippers, but has seen his playing time dip a little in each season, from 27.4 minutes per game in 2020/21 to 24.8 MPG in ’21/22 and 21.9 MPG in ’22/23. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

AEK Athens and former NBA guard Chasson Randle have agreed to a one-year deal, according to Stavros Barbarousis of Eurohoops. Randle, who has played in a handful of professional leagues around the world, also has 119 NBA appearances on his résumé, having spent time with the Sixers, Knicks, Wizards, Warriors, and Magic between 2016-21.
After defeating Finland in an exhibition game on Monday – overcoming a 32-point outing from Lauri Markkanen – Lithuania has finalized its roster for the 2023 World Cup, per Eurohoops. The roster includes a handful of current or former NBA players, headlined by Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas. However, NBA rookie Azuolas Tubelis, who signed a two-way contract with the Sixers last month, didn’t make the final cut.
In case you missed it, veteran NBA wing Sterling Brown completed a two-year deal with Germany’s Alba Berlin. We have the full story here.

World Cup Notes: Towns, Team USA, Barrett, Doncic

August 14th, 2023 at 10:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Karl-Anthony Towns‘ decision to represent the Dominican Republic in the FIBA World Cup is a way to honor his late mother, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, a Dominican native, died from COVID during the early stages of the pandemic. She helped to inspire the commitment from Towns, who hasn’t played in an international tournament for more than a decade.

“There was a lot that went into the decision,” the Timberwolves‘ forward/center said. “The timing is right. I didn’t put as much stress on my body this last season because of the (calf) injury. I’m feeling great now, I’m 100% and feeling like myself again. It’s a perfect time to work on some things in my game. And with my mom’s passing, I felt an urgency to do it.”

The Dominican team won’t have Al Horford or Chris Duarte, but Towns’ presence will give them a chance of advancing. They’ll start out in pool play with Italy, Angola and the Philippines, which will host the Americas region when the tournament begins August 26.

Towns is also hoping to use the World Cup as a springboard to a better season with Minnesota. He missed 51 straight games with the calf issue, and his late-season return wasn’t enough to help the team get past the first round of the playoffs.

“The (Wolves were) very supportive when I came to them to talk about playing,” Towns said. “There’s a lot of commitment to get better this season, and for all of us this will be a head start.”

There’s more on the World Cup:

Team USA got its first taste of adversity in Sunday’s game against the top-ranked Spanish team in Malaga, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The Americans faced a rabid crowd as Spain erased a 10-point halftime deficit to take the lead in the third quarter. “Atmosphere is contagious,” Mikal Bridges said. “And that’s funny. I was talking to my teammates about playing in the national championship, playing in the finals is just a different type of atmosphere. And this is like one thing that you dream of, and we aren’t even in the stadium in the Philippines (for the World Cup). But even coming here and being in Spain, this is ridiculous, man. I’m happy I’m a part of this, happy I’m going through this.”
While Jalen Brunson made all nine of his shots from the field as the U.S. pulled out a victory, Knicks teammate RJ Barrett scored 31 points in Canada’s overtime win over Germany in the finals of the DBB SuperCup tournament, per Christian Arnold of The New York Post. “(Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), (Kelly Olynyk) and the guys are out there making it easy for me to do my thing, but it’s been a lot of fun,” Barrett said.
Luka Doncic told reporters, including Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops, that he feels he has something to prove after Slovenia’s early exit in last year’s EuroBasket. “I disappointed my team. I let my whole country down. It was my fault,” Doncic said. “I’ll be back. I will always play for Slovenia if I am not injured.”

World Cup Notes: Team USA, Portis, K. Antetokounmpo, Poirier

August 13th, 2023 at 10:33am CST by Arthur Hill

Team USA enjoyed its second straight rout in exhibition play ahead of the FIBA World Cup, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The Americans pulled away in the second half Saturday for a 30-point win over a Slovenian team without Luka Doncic, who sat out the game with a minor knee issue.

Combined with Monday’s victory over Puerto Rico, the U.S. has outscored its opponents by 73 points in two games. The competition will get tougher in today’s matchup with Spain, but head coach Steve Kerr is happy to see his players buy into a team concept so quickly.

“We put together the team with the idea of having a lot of good passers and play-makers,” Kerr said. “And with this team, we’ve seen through the first two exhibition games, everybody can pass. And so we really want to push the tempo and attack closeouts because once we put it on the floor, we know these guys will distribute it and move it all over again.

“And you know, I thought we almost overdid it tonight. I thought at times we had over threes and we drove and kicked it down, which as a coach, you never want to criticize your players for that because you’re always trying to get them involved.”

There’s more on the World Cup:

Bobby Portis is disappointed that he won’t get to match up with Bucks teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo when Team USA faces Greece in an exhibition contest next week and again in pool play, Vardon adds. Antetokounmpo announced Friday that he will miss the World Cup as he continues to recover from minor knee surgery. “Obviously I’m sad, he’s sad, that he can’t play in the World Cup, but maybe that’s good for the Bucks,” Portis said.
Greece will also be without Kostas Antetokounmpo, who was declared out with an injury on Sunday, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. A former NBA player with the Mavericks and Lakers, Antetokounmpo represented Greece in last year’s EuroBasket and the Olympic qualifying tournament in 2021.
Former Celtics and Sixers center Vincent Poirier has joined the French team because of uncertainty surrounding Knicks draft-and-stash player Mathias Lessort, who is sidelined with an ankle issue, per Eurohoops. France is also adding Isaïa Cordinier in the wake of Frank Ntilikina‘s hamstring injury.

World Cup Notes: Doncic, Brunson, Ntilikina, Kerr

August 12th, 2023 at 11:37am CST by Tristan Tucker

Luka Doncic isn’t playing for the Slovenian national team when they take on the United States in tonight’s showcase game, the club announced (Twitter link). Doncic isn’t playing for precautionary reasons after suffering a blow to his left knee in the second quarter of a game against Spain on Friday.

Doncic’s injury likely isn’t serious, given that he completed the second half of the game in which he suffered the injury, finishing with 17 points in about 25 minutes. Still, it’s a disappointing result for Doncic, his team and even USA Basketball. Jalen Brunson, who is on the USA’s World Cup roster and played with Doncic from 2018 to 2022 on the Mavericks, was looking forward to squaring off against his former teammate.

“That’s my brother,” Brunson said of Doncic, per The Athletic’s Joe Vardon. “We got drafted together. I’ve been watching him grow since meeting him for the first time, seeing the player he is now. He’s gotten better and better each year to the point where he’s a top-five player, an MVP candidate, year in and year out, so whenever I get a chance to share the court with him, either with him or against him, it’s always been special. I’ve got nothing but love for him.”

The exhibition game between Slovenia and the United States tips off today at 3:30 p.m. EST. Former NBA players Zoran Dragic and Mike Tobey are among the Slovenian players who will take the floor against the United States.

There are other notes from the World Cup:

New Hornets guard Frank Ntilikina will miss the 2023 FIBA World Cup after suffering an injury in a friendly between France and Lithuania, Eurohoops reports. Ntilikina injured his hamstring and no timetable was given for his return to play. Ntilikina signed a one-year contract with the Hornets earlier this month.
Thirty-seven years ago, Steve Kerr was a player for the 1986 USA Basketball World Championship Team, the precursor to the modern World Cup. Kerr’s team played in Malaga, Spain, where the USA is scheduled to play over the coming days. In another piece from Vardon, Kerr reminisces over the time he spent as a player in Malaga and said he wants the Team USA players he’s now coaching to take this experience all in. “Part of this experience has to be the cultural part of it,” Kerr said. “We’re getting to travel the world and see places we may never see again. So, you know, we are going to encourage our guys to get out. A lot of them have family in. Most of them went out to dinner with their families and friends last night. Yeah. We encourage that. It’s a great time to see the city of Malaga, but also prepare for a couple of important games.”
In case you missed it, Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be playing in this year’s World Cup because he’s still recovering from a minor knee surgery.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Won’t Play In World Cup

August 11th, 2023 at 8:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo announced on Twitter that he will miss the FIBA World Cup because he’s still recovering from minor knee surgery.

Antetokounmpo had a clean-up procedure in late June to remove loose cartilage in his left knee. Since that operation, it has been uncertain whether he would be able to represent Greece in the tournament, and team doctors were reportedly working with Milwaukee’s medical staff to reach a final decision.

“Everyone knows my passion and love for my National Team has and never will change,” Antetokounmpo wrote in his tweet. “Since the conclusion of my NBA season I have been pushing my body to the limits to be the player I need to be to help our team achieve the goals we set. But after months of work and multiple meetings with medical staff it is clear that i am not ready to compete in the level that I need to be to participate in the World Cup.”

Antetokounmpo’s decision is a huge setback for a Greek team that can earn an automatic bid to the Olympics by finishing as one of the top two European teams in the World Cup. Greece could still reach the 2024 Paris games through other qualifying tournaments, but Antetokounmpo’s availability for those competitions will depend on his NBA commitments.

The absence of Antetokounmpo will also affect Team USA, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. America and Greece will be in the same pool for the first round of the tournament in the Philippines, and while the U.S. is a heavy favorite to advance regardless, facing Greece without Antetokounmpo makes that task much easier.

Antetokounmpo indicated that the status of his knee left him little choice about trying to play. The Bucks will open training camp in about seven weeks, and the start of the regular season is a little more than two months away.

“This was not a choice but my only option in ensuring I get back to the level of basketball I have worked so hard to achieve so far in my career,” he added. “I am extremely disappointed in this outcome but this was a decision made with the medical staff. I’m going to continue to push myself to be ready for the next time my name is called. My personal, and our ultimate team goal is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics games and it will be an honor to represent my National Team next year.”

World Cup Notes: Hart, Giannis, Giddey, Dellavedova

August 10th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Several members of Team USA have new contracts to celebrate this summer as they prepare for the FIBA World Cup, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Josh Hart became the latest player with a new deal, signing a four-year, $81MM extension with the Knicks electronically Thursday morning while the Americans prepared for a pair of exhibition games in Spain.

“It was actually pretty cool, I was just laying down on the training table, getting some treatment, on FaceTime with (his wife Shannon) and signing the contract,” Hart said. “It meant a lot. I wasn’t highly touted coming out of high school, wasn’t highly regarded in the draft, went through free agency the first time and I was restricted, it was a terrible experience for me, so to be able to do this, it’s a dream come true – just being able to have something that can take care of my parents, my family, my kids.”

Other U.S. players also had productive offseasons. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards both signed five-year, maximum-salary extensions. Cameron Johnson got $100MM over five seasons to stay with the Nets, and Austin Reaves re-signed with the Lakers for approximately $54MM over four years.

“Yeah, that’s my kids’ kids’ money, for sure,” Edwards said. “It don’t matter (which player’s contract we’re talking about), that’s a lot of money.”

There’s more on the World Cup:

Giannis Antetokounmpo traveled to the United States for more testing on his knee before deciding whether to play for Greece, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. The Bucks‘ medical staff will reportedly work with doctors from the Greek team to determine the best course of action for Antetokounmpo.
Wenyen Gabriel is the most recognizable player for South Sudan, which is preparing for its first-ever World Cup appearance, Askounis adds in a separate story. Other team members with NBA ties include Marial Shayok, Mangok Mathiang and Carlik Jones.
Thunder guard Josh Giddey is ready to become the new on-court leader for Australia, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Coach Brian Goorjian plans entrust his offense to the 20-year-old, who is seen as the future of the Australian basketball. “Giddey sets the standard of, eventually you’re gonna be the guy for this program, and he’s an unselfish player, so that sets the standard straight out of the gates,” teammate Jock Landale said. “He’s already embodied the Boomers mentality, and our culture, just through how he plays. It’s gonna come naturally to him, and he’ll fit in really nicely.”
Veteran guard Matthew Dellavedova isn’t part of Australia’s 13-man roster for exhibition games prior to the start of the tournament, according to Eurohoops.

Latvian Basketball Denies Kristaps Porzingis Injury Rumor

August 10th, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

A tweet from the Latvian Basketball Association refutes a rumor circulating Wednesday that Kristaps Porzingis may miss the FIBA World Cup because of injury concerns.

The original report came from Rupert Fabig of BIG Deutschland, who said sources told him that Porzingis was experiencing “something with his foot” and that he and the Celtics were working with Latvian officials on a final decision. Porzingis didn’t participate in Latvia’s first two exhibition games.

Latvia has denied Fabig’s report, stating that Porzingis continues to train in anticipation of playing in the international tournament.

“There has been information that questions the participation of Kristaps Porzingis in the FIBA World Cup,” the tweet reads. “LBS denies this information. Both the players’ individual preparation plans and the team’s overall training process are ongoing. The line-up for the match against the Dominican Republic will be announced on August 12.”

Porzingis has been affected by injuries frequently throughout his career, starting with an ACL tear that caused him to miss all of 2018/19. He played 65 games for the Wizards last year, the most since his second NBA season.

The Celtics are counting on continued good health from Porzingis after parting with Marcus Smart to acquire him in a three-team trade and giving him a two-year, $60MM extension.