On paper, Canada's men's basketball can take one small step toward the 2024 Paris Olympics over the next week. In reality, its two games hold slightly more significance.
Canada Basketball announced its training camp roster for a pair of World Cup qualifying contests on Thursday featuring six NBA players including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Oshae Brissett and veteran stalwarts Cory Joseph, Kelly Olynyk and Dwight Powell.
Additionally, five more NBA players — Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Luguentz Dort and Khem Birch — will attend training camp but not play.
The team will be led by head coach Nick Nurse. WATCH | Gilgeous-Alexander helps Canada beat Dominican Republic in World Cup qualifying: The window represents an opportunity for Canada's top players to continue to gel and establish the chemistry the team lacked when it was eliminated from its last-chance Olympic qualifier in Victoria ahead of Tokyo 2020.