Best players to miss FIBA World Cup 2023: Team World vs. Team USA / News - Basketnews.com

Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kristaps Porzingis, Domantas Sabonis, Victor Wembanyama, Ben Simmons, Jamal Murray, and Rui Hachimura are among the best players that will miss the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 is set to be held across three host countries -- Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines -- from August 25 to September 10.

This should be the biggest international basketball tournament, with 32 teams gracing the court. However, the upcoming edition might not be as star-studded as expected, as many top-notch players won't participate due to various reasons, including injuries, NBA commitments, and mental or physical overload.

The list involves the likes of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Domantas Sabonis, Victor Wembanyama, Ben Simmons, Kristaps Porzingis, U.S. global stars, reigning World Cup MVP Ricky Rubio, and the most recent significant absence of Jamal Murray.

Murray's unavailability further hurts the star power of this World Cup. Among the participants, only two members from last season's All-NBA team -- Slovenia's Luka Doncic and Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -- are slated to play in the tournament.

Furthermore, Team USA won't field its strongest squad. Despite NBA superstars skipping the tournament, even still, the Steve Kerr-led team is a favorite of winning gold with a young and talented roster.

As the World Cup approaches, BasketNews is here to provide you with updates on the stars who cannot participate. To give you an idea, we have compiled 12-man rosters for both the potential Team USA and the Rest of the World squads.

Team World

Jose Alvarado | G | Puerto Rico

Unfortunately, we will not witness sneak-attack steals from New Orleans Pelicans guard in the upcoming World Cup.

Jose 'Grand Theft' Alvarado suffered a stress reaction in his right tibia that prematurely ended his 2022-23 season in March. The Latino basketball star is still recovering from the setback.

As such, the Pelicans did not allow the player to participate in training camp or the World Cup itself.

"The tibia injury in his right leg delayed his recovery this summer. His team performed an MRI last week and saw that his injury has not fully healed," Puerto Rico's general manager Carlos Arroyo explained.

Credit FIBA

In 61 games with New Orleans last season, Alvarado averaged 9.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.1 steals over 21.5 minutes.

He helped Puerto Rico clinch participation in the World Cup, posting 21.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game in the Americas Qualifiers. World Cup would have been his first big FIBA tournament during his national team career.

Jamal Murray | G | Canada

After missing 18 months with a torn ACL, the Denver Nuggets star returned to the court in 2022 and helped lead the franchise to its first-ever NBA championship alongside Nikola Jokic.

The long journey to clinch the NBA title and a previous serious injury were the two primary factors contributing to Murray's absence.

"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.

Credit Canada Basketball

"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."

The 26-year-old guard averaged 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists last regular season for the Nuggets. He raised his numbers to 26.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in the playoffs.

Ricky Rubio | G | Spain

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Spanish NT guard announced that he is taking a break from basketball to focus on his mental health, a move that comes as his Spanish national team prepares to defend its title at the FIBA World Cup.

Rubio was the MVP of the most recent World Cup four years ago, leading Spain to the championship and an 8-0 record in the tournament. He had a team-high 20 points in Spain's 2019 World Cup final win over Argentina.

"I have decided to stop my professional activity to take care of my mental health," Rubio said in a statement distributed by the Spanish Basketball Federation. "I want to thank all the support I have received from the FEB to understand my decision. Today #LaFamilia makes more sense than ever. Thank you."

With a career spanning 12 seasons in the NBA, the 32-year-old guard has left his mark on the court with teams like Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix, and Cleveland.

His journey also contains 10 major FIBA competitions with the Spanish NT, leading to an impressive collection of seven medals, including three golds.

He missed most of the past two seasons while recovering from a torn left ACL and returned to the Cavs primarily as a reserve for 33 games at the end of the last season.

Kostas Sloukas | G | Greece

It will be the first summer that the prominent Greek guard spends without participating in national team activities. Since 2006, the veteran playmaker either played for the national team at youth or senior levels or participated in the training camp (2012).

At 33 years old, Sloukas feels his body needs some rest before the upcoming EuroLeague season, which will be a special one since Sloukas transferred from Olympiacos to their archrivals Panathinaikos this offseason.

"Kostas Sloukas, with almost two decades of service to the national teams, prioritized preparing his body for the upcoming challenges with his new team, and we completely understand and respect his wishes. We had discussions, tried to persuade him, but ultimately, his choice stands," coach Dimitris Itoudis said about the veteran.

This past season, Sloukas had one of the most efficient campaigns in his career, averaging 11.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists for 14.7 PIR in almost 23 minutes of playing time.

Vasilije Micic | G | Serbia

This offseason, Micic finally reached an agreement with Oklahoma City Thunder and officially signed a three-year contract worth $23.5 million, which includes a team option for the third year.

That's one of the reasons why the former Anadolu Efes star will not appear on the FIBA court in the summer. He will be using the time to prepare for his NBA debut, a common practice among European players transitioning across the Atlantic.

Moreover, Micic has discomfort with his shoulder, as Serbian NT coach Svetislav Pesic revealed.

"As for [Vasilije] Micic, we had lengthy discussions, and he requested to skip this year. After a long season, dealing with injuries and signing with Oklahoma, he was unfortunate to sustain a shoulder injury during his stay there, and now he's recovering," Pesic said.

Credit FIBA

Micic joins the Thunder after a decorated EuroLeague career where he won league MVP honors in 2021 and helped lead Anadolu Efes to a pair of EuroLeague championships in 2021 and 2022.

In 31 EuroLeague games this past season, Micic averaged 16.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in nearly 31 minutes of play.

Ben Simmons| G/F | Australia

Brooklyn and Simmons have mutually agreed that it wouldn't be beneficial for the player to cut short his rehabilitation period for his back and nerve issues by three weeks, as theNets remain optimistic about his ability to regain top form in the upcoming season.

The 26-year-old Simmons, the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the 76ers and one of the most talented Australian players ever played for his country's senior national team in an official competition -- at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship -- shortly before his 17th birthday.

Named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018, Simmons has since been a three-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection.

He has endured his share of injuries, however. Simmons missed the entire 2021-22 season after having back surgery.

Simmons had a difficult divorce from Philadelphia, who traded him to Brooklyn in February of 2022. Simmons played 42 games this past season for Brooklyn, but injuries led to the Nets shutting him down before the playoffs.

Australia had hoped that he might represent the country at the Rio Olympics, the 2019 World Cup, and the Tokyo Olympics, but for different reasons, it never happened.

Rui Hachimura | F | Japan

Japan is one of the three host nations of the FIBA World Cup 2023. However, they will have to compete without their biggest star.

Hachimura, a Los Angeles Lakers forward, will miss the event as the player chose to focus on his career.

"I have decided to withdraw from this year's FIBA ​​World Cup. It was a very difficult decision to make, but after last season and the long playoffs, I decided to give priority to my future NBA career," Hachimura explained his decision.

"In addition, I will focus on training this summer and prepare my body for the next season," he continued. "I would like to thank everyone involved, the JBA, and head coach Tom Hovasse for their understanding of my decision this time. I would like to wish my teammates of the Japan national basketball team the best of luck. I'll be their number one supporter."

The 25-year-old last played for Japan during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, where he averaged 22.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.

Giannis Antetokounmpo | F | Greece

One of the most significant absences. Giannis will not suit up for Greece, he announced in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Milwaukee Bucks superstar says he is simply not ready to compete in the FIBA World Cup. Antetokounmpo had surgery on his left knee earlier this summer.

"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," Antetokounmpo wrote in his post.

"But after months of work and multiple meetings with medical staff, it is clear that I am not ready to compete at the level that I need to be to participate in the World Cup. 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.

"I am extremely disappointed in this outcome, but this was a decision made with the medical staff. … 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."

Antetokounmpo missed 19 regular-season games for the Bucks this past season, 11 of those because of left knee soreness.

Greek Freek played in FIBA EuroBasket last year and averaged 29.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in six contests, but Greece failed to overcome Germany in the quarterfinals.

Giannis became the first Greek player since Nikos Galis (EuroBasket 1987) to score at least 25+ in every game he played in the tournament.

Giannis is a seven-time All-Star, two-time NBA MVP, and led the Bucks to the 2021 NBA title. He averaged 31.1 points and 11.8 rebounds last season.

Kristaps Porzingis | F/C | Latvia

The Latvian national team is set to make its debut appearance at the FIBA World Cup this August, but unfortunately, their top player won't be able to join them on the court.

Porzingis, who was traded to the Boston Celtics this offseason, is dealing with plantar fasciitis and has not received medical clearance to take part in the tournament.

"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," the player wrote on X. "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."

Earlier in the month, there were initial reports of Porzingis sustaining an injury, but the Latvian Basketball Association strongly refuted these claims in a social media post on August 10.

Credit FIBA

This untimely setback adds to Porzingis' history of grappling with injuries throughout his career.

The 28-year-old center hasn't played more than 66 games in a single season since his rookie year in 2015-16. He had to sit out the entire 2018-19 campaign due to a torn ACL, played 43 games in the 2020-21 season, and featured in 51 games in 2021-22.

Porzingis posted some of the best numbers of his career last season with the Washington Wizards, averaging 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks over 65 appearances while shooting 49.8% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range.

Porzingis' absence is a major setback for Latvia's ambitions in their inaugural World Cup appearance. He stands as their standout player and is one of only two NBA players on the current roster, the other being OKC forward Davis Bertans.

Domantas Sabonis | F/C | Lithuania

The 27-year-old will miss the tournament due to a complicated off-season, as he is dealing with a thumb injury sustained during the last NBA season, as well as recently finished sorting out his contract situation with the Sacramento Kings.

Sabonis suffered an avulsion fracture of the ulnar collateral ligament of the right thumb at the end of December. The center played through the injury for almost six months.

During the 2022-23 NBA season, Sabonis made his third All-Star Game appearance, topped the league in rebounds, and secured a spot in All-NBA Third Team.

Credit FIBA

Sabonis averaged 18.9 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game in 2022-23. His contributions played a significant role in the Kings breaking a sixteen-season NBA Playoffs drought.

Despite that, Sacramento was eliminated in Western Conference First Round, losing to the Golden State Warriors in a thrilling seven-game series.

Sabonis' absence is big for Lithuania. Still, if we say the A, we should say the B. Sabonis was part of the Lithuanian team that finished as runners-up at FIBA EuroBasket 2015. Still, he is yet to have a dominant FIBA tournament with the national team alongside Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas.

Victor Wembanyama | C | France

Wembanyama decided to omit World Cup after consulting his closest entourage, the medical staff, and several executives of the French national team.

"It would not be realistic in terms of development and not careful in terms of health," Wembanyama explained in an interview with L'Equipe. "I hope people will understand. It's frustrating for me too. The France team is still my focus. I want to win as many titles as possible with it. But I think it's a necessary sacrifice."

Wembanyama was selected with the No. 1 pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft.

"The Spurs would have supported me whatever my choice had been," the 19-year-old added, eliminating any possible assumptions about potential pressure from his new team.

Wembanyama made his French NT debut last November during the FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers. He competed in four games for France, averaging 19.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 22.5 EFF per contest.

Wemby played in every game for Metropolitans 92 last season, recording 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game in 34 French League appearances. He led the league in scoring, rebounding, and blocks and was named the MVP of the competition.

Nikola Jokic | C | Serbia

Arguably the biggest loss of the forthcoming World Cup. Jokic played in 89 NBA games last season, which resulted in the championship run.

No surprise, Jokic was the best player throughout the entire playoff campaign and was named the NBA Finals MVP after Denver beat the Miami Heat in Game 5. The Joker averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game during the Finals.

The two-time NBA MVP was given an extended rest period by Serbian NT head coach Svetislav Pesic. In the end, however, there was no turning point.

"With [Nikola] Jokic, we had several conversations, and I must say they were some of the best conversations I've had with players who couldn't make it to the roster," Pesic said. "He's physically and mentally exhausted, not feeling ready to take responsibility at the moment."

Jokic was part of Serbia's EuroBasket 2022 bid that ended in the Round of 16 and surprising elimination by Italy. The Nuggets star won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

Player Club NBA experience Jose Alvarado New Orleans Pelicans 2-year Ricky Rubio Cleveland Cavaliers 12-year Kostas Sloukas Panathinaikos Athens None Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets 6-year Vasilije Micic Oklahoma City Thunder None Ben Simmons Brooklyn Nets 5-year Rui Hachimura Los Angeles Lakers 4-year Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks 10-year Kristaps Porzingis Boston Celtics 7-year Domantas Sabonis Sacramento Kings 7-year Victor Wembanyama San Antonio Spurs None Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets 8-year

Honorable mentions: Goran Dragic (Slovenia), Vlatko Cancar (Slovenia), Maxi Kleber (Germany), Lorenzo Brown (Spain), Nemanja Nedovic (Serbia), Aleksej Pokusevski (Serbia), Nemanja Bjelica (Serbia), Boban Marjanovic (Serbia), Vladimir Lucic (Serbia), Nikola Kalinic (Serbia), Tyler Dorsey (Greece), Nick Calathes (Greece), Juan Toscano-Anderson (Mexico), Frank Ntilikina (France), Rodrigue Beaubois (France), Killian Hayes (France), Danilo Gallinari (Italy), Darius Thompson (Italy), Nico Mannion (Italy), Cory Joseph (Canada), Trey Lyles (Canada), Marius Grigonis (Lithuania), Chris Duarte (Dominican Republic), Al Horford (Dominican Republic), Jock Landale (Australia).

Team USA

None of the American players who earned spots on the 2022-23 All-NBA teams will be participating in the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup. Despite a lineup that included Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Jaylen Brown, De'Aaron Fox, Damian Lillard, Julius Randle, and LeBron James, they have opted out of the international competition.

In addition to them, the likes of former Team USA rosters -- Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Kyrie Irving, Khris Middleton, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, and many others -- have also chosen not to wear the national team jersey this summer.

The primary focus for these Team USA superstars remains on the Olympic Games, where the United States aims to maintain its position as the dominant force in basketball worldwide.

After a disappointing 7th-place finish in the previous World Cup held in China, there were expectations that Team USA would seek redemption with its star-studded lineup. However, this time, the U.S. has opted for a roster featuring rising stars to conquer the global stage.

In an ideal scenario, Team USA could assemble a 12-man roster featuring several NBA playing legends.

The selection of players for this dream team largely depends on personal preferences.

Player Club NBA experience Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors 14-year Damian Lillard Portland Trail Blazers 11-year Jimmy Butler Miami Heat 12-year Donovan Mitchell Cleveland Cavaliers 6-year Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics 6-year LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers 20-year Jaylen Brown Boston Celtics 7-year Kevin Durant Phoenix Suns 15-year Zion Williamson New Orleans Pelicans 3-year Draymond Green Golden State Warriors 11-year Anthony Davis Los Angeles Lakers 11-year Bam Adebayo Miami Heat 6-year

Among the players listed above, 10 have previously represented Team USA either in the World Cup or the Olympics. Only Jimmy Butler and Zion Williamson lack experience in FIBA tournaments.

Curry is a two-time world champion (2010, 2014); Lillard, Tatum, and Adebayo secured Olympic gold medals in 2020; LeBron boasts two Olympic golds (2008, 2012), along with a bronze in the Athens Olympics (2004) and the World Cup (2006); Durant shines with three Olympic titles (2012, 2016, 2020) and a world championship in 2010; Green has two Olympic victories (2016, 2020), while Davis triumphed in the Olympics (2012) and the World Cup (2014).

While the absence of established superstars leaves a void, it also ignites a spark of curiosity and anticipation for the upcoming competition.

Are they good enough to reclaim Team USA's spot atop the international basketball hierarchy? It won't be long before we get a glimpse of it.

Honorable mentions: Julius Randle, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Ja Morant, De'Aaron Fox, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Khris Middleton, Klay Thompson, Zach LaVine, Trae Young, Fred VanVleet, etc.

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