USA Basketball has just confirmed that Los Angeles Lakers stud Kyle Kuzma has decided to withdraw from the squad after being unable to suit up for Team USA during their historic defeat to Australia on Saturday.

While the Americans will still be fielding a very formidable side for the upcoming FIBA World Cup tournament in China which kicks off next week, Kuzma is still going to be a considerable loss for a squad that many consider to currently have a lack of star power.

On Thursday, the 24-year-old was a participant in Team USA's pounding of Australia, logging 12 points, four three-pointers, two rebounds, and a steal in just 19 minutes of action. However, Kuzma appears to have suffered an ankle problem between then and Saturday, which forced him to miss out on the rematch.

Nevertheless, the injury appears to be minor, and this should not be a cause for concern for the Lakers moving forward. This may have been Kuzma and his camp erring on the side of caution, with a huge season ahead for the incoming third-year power forward in the NBA.

Despite Kuzma's absence, Team USA will still have some pretty good options in the forntcourt with guys like Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, and Mason Plumlee still available for head coach Gregg Popovich. This is not exactly the Dream Team we have here, but the Americans will still come in as favorites to take the gold medal in the upcoming international tournament.