While the biggest names in Canadian basketball may not be suiting up, some potential future mainstays will be donning the red and white at this year’s continental hoops tourney.
With the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup starting up this week in Managua, Nicaragua, Canada Basketball revealed its 12-man roster on Thursday, with young NBAers Leonard Miller and Kyshawn George leading the way.
Canada originally brought a group of 14 players together for a training camp last week as coach Nathaniel Mitchell — who is stepping in for national team head coach Gordie Hebrert while he finishes his commitment to Bayern Munich — worked to trim down the roster.
George, 21, was born in Switzerland to a Canadian father. He’s coming off a rookie season with the Wizards in which he averaged 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 68 games after being drafted in the first round (24th overall) out of Miami.
Miller, also 21, appeared in 13 games for Minnesota last season. The Scarborough, Ont., native entered the league as a second-round pick (33rd overall) in 2023.
Canada Basketball veterans Trae Bell-Haynes, who was on the World Cup team that won bronze in 2023, and the sharp-shooting Kyle Wiltjer were also included on the roster.
Canada, which is ranked sixth by FIBA, is in a group with No. 15 Puerto Rico, No. 25 Venezuela and No. 57 Panama. The team will open the tournament on Friday against Venezuela, then will take on Panama on Saturday and Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
The Canadians finished fourth in 2022, losing 84-80 to the U.S. in the third-place game. Canada has never finished higher than second, and hasn’t played in a final since 1999.
Charles Bediako – Brampton, Ont.
Trae Bell-Haynes – Toronto
Marcus Carr – Toronto
Nate Darling – Halifax
Kyshawn George – Monthey, Switzerland
Jahvon Henry-Blair – Brampton, Ont.
Mfiondu Kabengele – Burlington, Ont.
Thomas Kennedy – Windsor, Ont.
Leonard Miller – Scarborough, Ont.
Isiaha Mike – Scarborough, Ont.
David Muenkat – Brampton
Kyle Wiltjer – Portland, Ore.