Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins will not play for the Canadian national team in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China next month.
Wiggins was not named to the initial pool of Canada for the World Cup. According to Erick Koreen of The Athletic, Canada head coach Nick Nurse said that Wiggins felt that it was not the right time for him to play for the national team this summer.
It was earlier reported that Wiggins, who will be entering his sixth season in the NBA, wanted to focus on his preparation for training camp. Nurse, who is coming off a title run with the Toronto Raptors, said that they have accepted Wiggins' decision and are moving on in their preparation for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Canada invited several NBA players to their camp, including New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett and Denver Nuggets rising star Jamal Murray. Tristan Thompson and Nik Stauskas of the Cleveland Cavaliers were also included in the pool along with Kelly Olynyk of the Miami Heat, Trey Lyles of the San Antonio Spurs, Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks, Cory Joseph of the Sacramento Kings, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Canadian national team was drawn into Group H of the 2019 FIBA World Cup. They are set to face European powerhouse Lithuania, Australia, and Senegal in the group phase of the tournament.
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