NBA Rumors: Raptors Coach Rebuffs Talk Of Corey Joseph Passing Up Team Canada

The 2019 FIBA World Cup is fast approaching although the real story is the mass withdrawal of well-known NBA games for their respective countries. Team USA has seen players like Zion Williamson and Kyle Lowry passing up the chance, either due to injury or because they want to prepare for the 2019-20 NBA wars.

Looking at other teams, it seems other countries are having the same problem. Rumors were swirling initially that Corey Joseph has passed on playing for Team Canada. However, it appears all that was false and head coach Nick Nurse cleared the air, NBA.com reported.

The Toronto Raptors coach spoke with play-by-play commentator John Casey recently and said that reports of Joseph missing the FIBA World Cup are incorrect. Nurse has reportedly already spoken to the Sacramento Kings guard and that the player's flights to China have already been booked.

It was the Toronto Star who initially said that Joseph will not be playing in the upcoming FIBA World Cup slated to be held in China. This is even though Joseph was with the team in training camp and even played in an exhibition match against Nigeria.

Joseph did not travel with Team Canada to Australia although there were reports he could rejoin them in Sydney. Had he withdrawn, the 28-year-old would have joined a list of NBA players who will not participate in the World Cup. Other players who passed include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trey Lyles and Tristan Thompson.

Canada finds itself in a tough group. They are in Group H with Australia, Lithuania, and Senegal and need to finish in one of the top two spots to advance to the second stage. Things will get tougher should they succeed, joining whoever comes out on top on Group G. Germany, France, Jordan and the Dominican Republic make up the crossover group.

As for Team USA, head coach Gregg Popovich may have seen a lot of the top names withdraw their names although they remain formidable. In fact, the exodus may have made life easier for the San Antonio Spurs coach who expressed in the past how hard it was to make cuts and trim it down to a 12-man roster. Hopefully, the ones who make it will be enough for USA Basketball.