Canada Names Final Olympic Roster, Kawhi Leonard Replaced on US Side

Team Canada men’s basketball announced their final roster for the upcoming Paris Olympics ahead of Wednesday night’s exhibition game with Team USA. 11 of the 12 players are either currently in the NBA or have NBA experience.

The roster is as follows:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder

Jamal Murray - Denver Nuggets

RJ Barrett - Toronto Raptors

Dillon Brooks - Houston Rockets

Kelly Olynyk - Toronto Raptors

Lu Dort - Oklahoma City Thunder

Dwight Powell - Dallas Mavericks

Nickeil Alexander-Walker - Minnesota Timberwolves

Andrew Nembhard - Indiana Packers

Trey Lyles - Sacramento Kings

Khem Birch - Basquet Girona (Spanish Liga ACB)

Melvin Ejim - Unicaja (Spanish Liga ACB)

Birch, a 31-year-old Montreal native, played for the Orlando Magic from 2017-2021 and the Raptors from 2021-2023. He has lifetime averages in the NBA of 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 282 games.

Ejim, 33, is a Toronto native who spent 2015-2016 with the G-League’s Erie Bayhawks.

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Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has withdrawn from Team USA, according to Shams Charania. Further, a decision was made by USa Basketball as well as the Clippers that it is in Leonard’s best interest to prepare for the NBA season. The Boston Celtics’ Derrick White, a back-to-back all NBA defender, has been tabbed as Leonard’s replacement, according to ESPN’s Marc Spears.

White gives Team USA additional perimeter defense that will be essential when taking on a team like Canada’s Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray, as well as Germany with Dennis Schroder and Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Team USA and Canada will face-off Wednesday night in an exhibition in Las Vegas at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time.