Knicks rookie RJ Barrett will not play for Canada in the FIBA World Cup because of a calf injury, The Athletic reported Thursday, citing unidentified sources.
New York Knicks No. 3 pick RJ Barrett will not play for Canada in the FIBA World Cup due to management of a mild calf strain sustained during Las Vegas summer league, sources told @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 1, 2019
Barrett suffered the injury last month while playing in summer league in Las Vegas. He plans to rest his calf during the tournament, which takes place from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15, though he will join Canada for training camp and team activities, the report notes.
Other than Barrett's absence, Canada's roster mainly will stay intact. Team USA, on the other hand, has seen at least 10 players remove themselves from the initial roster.
Barrett is coming off a standout season at Duke where he averaged 22.6 points per game as a freshman. He was drafted third overall by the Knicks and is expected to make an immediate impact for New York, which had the worst record in the league last season at 17-65.
In five summer league games, Barrett averaged 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists, while shooting 33.7% from the field.