Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray had plans of playing for Team Canada at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, but a tweaked ankle will keep him out of the tournament, according to a report from Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
As part of his report, Koreen notes that Murray cannot risk playing. As a result, he will not be travelling with the team after training camp:
Jamal Murray said he tweaked his ankle a few days ago and can't risk playing. Will not travel with team after training camp
— (((Eric Koreen))) (@ekoreen) August 5, 2019
Murray, a 22-year-old native of Kitchener, Ontario, is coming off of his best season as an NBA player. The former No. 7 overall pick made 75 appearances with the Nuggets during their 2018-19 campaign (74 starts), racking up averages of 18.2 points on 43.7 percent shooting from the field (36.7 percent from beyond the arc), 4.8 assists, 4.2 rebounds and just under one steal (0.9) in 32.6 minutes per outing.
Jamal Murray isn't the only notable NBA player who won't be suiting up for Team Canada at this year's FIBA World Cup. Knicks rookie RJ Barrett won't be playing due to a mild calf strain, according to several reports.
Team Canada's first matchup of this summer's FIBA World Cup comes against Australia (September 1). Then, on September 3, the Canadian side will face Lithuania.
And for their third matchup of the tournament, Team Canada will face Senegal (September 5).
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