Former NBA Draft #2 Pick Joins Team USA for 2027 World Cup Qualifiers
USA Basketball has officially unveiled its 12-player roster for the upcoming 2027 World Cup qualifying window, set to begin in late February. Among the names selected, James Wiseman draws particular attention.
The American team will face Dominican Republic on February 26, then Mexico on March 1 at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California. This window represents a crucial step in the qualification process for the 2027 World Cup, which begins on August 27, 2027.
The February 2026 🇺🇸 Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team 🫡 pic.twitter.com/KG5LfcRJ67
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) February 17, 2026
A Roster Mixing NBA Experience and New Talent
The 12-player roster includes: Tevian Jones, Taevion Kinsey, Brandon Knight, Dakota Mathias, Elfrid Payton, Jaden Shackelford, Malcolm Hill, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, David Roddy, Terry Taylor, Jeremiah Tilmon, and James Wiseman. The team will be coached by former Rockets coach Stephen Silas.
Wiseman represents the most notable addition to this selection. The former second overall pick has played 152 NBA regular season games over six seasons and played with the Pacers earlier in 2025-2026. The center has been without a team since being released by Indiana on December 26.
Several other newcomers have recent NBA experience. Last season, Payton played for New Orleans and Charlotte, Roddy played for three different teams, and Taylor had a brief stint with the Kings. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, like Wiseman, played for the Pacers earlier in 2025-2026 and also played five games with the Mavericks on a 10-day contract last month.
Former Phoenix Suns scorer Brandon Knight (19.6 points per game in the NBA in 2015-2016), Shackelford, and Tilmon had already represented Team USA during the first qualifying window in the fall. The American team, with its 2-0 record after victories against Nicaragua, enters these qualifiers with a largely revamped roster.
This second window is part of a six-phase qualification process. Team USA will also participate in qualifiers in July, August-September, and November-December, with the final window opening in February 2027. While the final World Cup roster likely won’t include any of these 12 players, these games offer less-heralded talents the opportunity to represent their country and help the United States secure qualification.
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