Lithuania and Latvia field NBA‑free squads for crucial FIBA World Cup qualifiers

Lithuania and Latvia announced their training camps for the upcoming FIBA World Cup 2027 qualification window, opting not to call up any NBA players. Lithuania coach Rimas Kurtinaitis named a 14‑player roster that includes Kristupas Zemaitis, Augustas Marciulionis and veteran center Donatas Motiejunas. The team sits at 3‑3 in Group J and will face Turkey in Istanbul and Bosnia‑Herzegovina in Vilnius, one win away from the top‑three qualifying spots.

Latvia’s head coach Janis Gailitis selected 16 players, also without NBA talent, and the side is 3‑3 in Group K, trailing Croatia and Germany. Their next games are against Croatia in Zadar and Israel at the Xiaomi Arena. Both Baltic teams will rely on European and domestic depth to secure the needed victories.