Jamal Murray won’t play in 2023 World Cup

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray won’t play for Team Canada in the 2023 World Cup, Canada Basketball announced Wednesday on its official website.

Murray reported to training camp for the Canadian national team, but his status for the FIBA World Cup was always considered to be up in the air due to his lengthy postseason run in Denver this spring. He was ruled out for Canada’s first few exhibition games in Germany and now won’t be part of the squad that travels to Indonesia to begin its group play schedule on August 25.

“When I came into training camp, I wanted to see how my body would respond after a long and demanding season and if I would be physically able to compete at the highest level required for the World Cup,” Murray said in a statement. “In consultation with medical staff and the team, it is clear that additional recovery is required, and I have made the difficult decision to not participate in the tournament.

“It’s still a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics, and I will support the team every step of the way as they pursue this goal.”

Canada would qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris – and give Murray a chance to suit up for the club next summer – by placing as one of the top two teams from the Americas in the World Cup. Obviously, Team USA will be Canada’s top competition in that field, but several others – the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil – will be vying for one of those top two spots.

Although the Canadian team – led by NBA players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, and Luguentz Dort – is a deep and talented one, the group doesn’t have much experience playing together in international competitions, so clinching an Olympic berth next month is far from a lock. The first step will be reaching the knockout stage of the tournament with a top-two finish in a group that also features France, Latvia, and Lebanon.