Kyle Lowry Withdraws From USA World Cup Squad

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has withdrawn from the USA Basketball World Cup team, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

While many withdrawals prior to training camp were due to players focusing on their NBA season, Lowry has a legitimate injury excuse. He underwent thumb surgery last month, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports notes (Twitter link), and hasn’t been cleared to resume basketball activity.

Lowry might have been cleared prior to the tournament but has to be careful since he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer. He told the media during Team USA’s camp that he’d love to sign an extension prior to free agency.

Lowry was a member of the 2016 USA Olympic team and hopes to make the final roster for the 2020 squad, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet.

Lowry dealt with the thumb issue much of the postseason but was still productive during the championship run, posting averages of 15.0 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 4.9 RPG with a .439/.359/.802 shooting line in 24 playoff contests.

Team USA has some depth at the point guard spot despite Lowry’s defection. Kemba Walker will likely get the bulk of the minutes while De’Aaron Fox and combo guards Donovan Mitchell and Marcus Smart could also run the offense. The FIBA tournament begins next month in China.