USA Basketball announces roster for World Cup qualifiers

USA Basketball has announced its 12-man roster for a pair of upcoming World Cup qualifying games against Nicaragua. Those games will take place in Managua, Nicaragua on Nov. 28 and in College Park, Georgia on Dec. 1, with Team USA deploying the following squad:

• Kyle Guy, G
• Brandon Knight, G
• Jaden Shackelford, G
• Javonte Smart, G
• Ryan Woolridge, G
• Pedro Bradshaw, G/F
• Nate Hinton, G/F
• MarJon Beauchamp, F
• Torrey Craig, F
• Kessler Edwards, F
• Garrison Brooks, C
• Jeremiah Tilmon, C

The roster, which is coached by former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas, is made up of current free agents or G League players, with no active NBA players taking part. However, seven of the 12 Team USA members have previous NBA experience — Craig (458 regular season games) and Knight (451 games) have spent the most time in the league.

Unlike Knight, who has been out of the NBA since the 2021-22 season, Craig played for the Bulls and Celtics in 2024-25 and is one of a handful of players who was in the league within the past year. That group also includes Edwards, who made 40 appearances last season for the Mavericks, and Beauchamp, a former first-round pick who played in 35 games for three NBA teams in 2024-25.

Smart and Hinton have previously suited up for the U.S. national team — Smart won bronze with Team USA at this year’s AmeriCup, while Hinton was a member of the U.S. team for a pair of qualifying windows in 2023 (for the World Cup) and 2024 (for the AmeriCup).

This is the first of six windows of qualifying games for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, which will tip off on Aug. 27, 2027. Team USA will also compete in qualifiers next February/March, July, August/September, and November/December, with the final qualifying window opening in Feb. 2027.

The actual World Cup roster is unlikely to feature any of the players in this 12-man group, since the U.S. typically sends a more star-studded squad to the event itself. However, the qualifying games give some less-heralded players the opportunity to represent their home country and to help clinch Team USA’s spot in the World Cup.