Canadians to watch this NBA season

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The new NBA season tips off tonight, and a lot has changed since Nikola Jokic, Canada's Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets won the championship last June.

Super-prospect Victor Wembanyama got drafted No. 1 overall by San Antonio. Damian Lillard joined forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. Phoenix acquired Bradley Beal and sent Chris Paul to Golden State. Boston swapped Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porziņgis and grabbed Jrue Holiday in the Lillard trade fallout. Toronto lost star guard Fred VanVleet to Houston and brought in German journeyman Dennis Schröder, who went on to win MVP of the Basketball World Cup.

With the Raptors seemingly caught in purgatory after not doing much to shake up the remaining roster from last spring's play-in loss to Chicago, Canadian basketball fans might take more pleasure in following the players who will be part of the country's first Olympic men's appearance in a quarter century. So here's a look at some of those who could help the rising Canadian team reach the podium next summer in Paris:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder): With the exception of Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, no player did more to boost his profile over the past year than Gilgeous-Alexander. Before turning 25 in July, he placed fifth in regular-season MVP voting after averaging a career-high 31.4 points per game (the fourth-highest mark in the league) to help OKC reach the play-in round. Then he led the Canadian men's national team to its first Olympic berth since 2000 and its first major medal since 1936 with a bronze at the World Cup, where most