RECORD 16 CANADIANS ON NBA ROSTERS AS SEASON BEGINS TONIGHT

TORONTO, Ont. (October 22, 2019) – For a sixth consecutive season, Canada once again features the most international-born players with a record 16 Canadians on opening-night rosters, the most players from a non-U.S. country ever.

For a second consecutive season, there are 108 international players.  These players hail from 38 different countries and territories, including the 16 Canadians.

In addition, there are a record 11 international players from eight countries on “two-way” contracts, including four Canadians.  These contracts allow two-way players to be with their NBA parent team for up to 45 days, spending most of the season in the NBA G League.

Six Canadians were selected in the 2019 NBA Draft, not only surpassing the previous record of four Canadians picked in the 2014 NBA Draft but also setting the record for most draftees from a non-U.S. country in one draft.  In addition, the four Canadian first-round selections also established a new record for the country.

RJ Barrett (New York Knicks; Canada; BWB Global 2017) is just one of a record 30 former Basketball Without Borders (BWB) campers on opening-night rosters.  BWB is the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that has seen 69 former campers drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents since 2001.

Several Canadians will be in new threads when the season gets started this week.  After spending the past two seasons in Indiana, Cory Joseph inked a three-year contract with the Sacramento Kings this past summer, while Trey Lyles, who played with the Denver Nuggets a season ago, signed with the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason.  Naz Mitrou-Long, who was on a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz the last two seasons, has signed another two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers for the upcoming season.

For a second straight year, Dwight Powell’s Dallas Mavericks have an NBA-high seven international players.

CANADIAN NBA PLAYERS

            NAME AGE 2018-19 TEAM / STATS CURRENT TEAM
NICKEIL ALEXANDER-WALKER 21 Virginia Tech Hokies (NCAA)

 

34 GP, 16.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 34.3 MPG

New Orleans Pelicans
RJ BARRETT 19 Duke Blue Devils (NCAA)

 

38 GP, 22.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 35.3 MPG

New York Knicks
KHEM BIRCH 27 Orlando Magic

 

50 GP, 4.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 12.9 MPG

Orlando
Magic
CHRIS BOUCHER 26 Toronto Raptors

 

28 GP, 3.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 5.8 MPG

Toronto Raptors
IGNAS BRAZDEIKIS 20 Michigan Wolverines (NCAA)

 

37 GP, 14.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 29.6 MPG

New York Knicks
OSHAE BRISSETT* 21 Syracuse Orange (NCAA)

 

34 GP, 12.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 33.0 MPG

Toronto Raptors
DILLON BROOKS 23 Memphis Grizzlies

 

18 GP, 7.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 18.3 MPG

Memphis
Grizzlies
BRANDON CLARKE 23 Gonzaga Bulldogs (NCAA)

 

37 GP, 16.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 28.1 MPG

Memphis Grizzlies
LUGUENTZ DORT* 20 Arizona State Sun Devils (NCAA)

 

34 GP, 16.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 31.5 MPG

Oklahoma City Thunder
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER 21 Los Angeles Clippers

 

82 GP, 10.8 PPG, 3.3 APG, 26.5 MPG

Oklahoma City Thunder
CORY JOSEPH 28 Indiana Pacers

 

82 GP, 6.5 PPG, 3.9 APG, 25.2 MPG

Sacramento Kings
MFIONDU KABENGELE 22 Florida State Seminoles (NCAA)

 

37 GP, 13.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 21.6 MPG

Los Angeles Clippers
TREY LYLES 23 Denver Nuggets

 

64 GP, 8.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 17.5 MPG

San Antonio Spurs
NAZ MITROU-LONG* 26 Utah Jazz

 

14 GP, 1.1 PPG, 1.1 APG, 6.0 MPG

Indiana Pacers
JAMAL MURRAY 22 Denver Nuggets

 

75 GP, 18.2 PPG, 4.8 APG, 32.6 MPG

Denver Nuggets
KELLY OLYNYK 28 Miami Heat

 

79 GP, 10.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 22.9 MPG

Miami Heat
DWIGHT POWELL 28 Dallas Mavericks

 

77 GP, 10.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 21.6 MPG

Dallas Mavericks
MARIAL SHAYOK* 24 Iowa State Cyclones (NCAA)

 

34 GP, 18.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 32.9 MPG

Philadelphia 76ers
TRISTAN THOMPSON 28 Cleveland Cavaliers

 

43 GP, 10.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 27.9 MPG

Cleveland
Cavaliers
ANDREW WIGGINS 24 Minnesota Timberwolves

 

73 GP, 18.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 34.8 MPG

Minnesota
Timberwolves

* Two-way contract

CANADIAN PLAYERS’ SCHEDULE

Date Visiting Team Canadian Player
Tuesday October 22 New Orleans Pelicans Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Monday October 28 Orlando Magic Khem Birch
Wednesday November 6 Sacramento Kings Cory Joseph
Wednesday November 20 Orlando Magic Khem Birch
Monday November 25 Philadelphia 76ers Marial Shayok*
Wednesday November 27 New York Knicks R.J. Barrett, Ignas Brazdeikis
Tuesday December 3 Miami Heat Kelly Olynyk
Wednesday December 11 LA Clippers Mfiondu Kabengele
Monday December 16 Cleveland Cavaliers Tristan Thompson
Sunday December 22 Dallas Mavericks Dwight Powell
Sunday December 29 Oklahoma City Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort*
Tuesday December 31 Cleveland Cavaliers Tristan Thompson
Sunday January 12 San Antonio Spurs Trey Lyles
Wednesday January 22 Philadelphia 76ers Marial Shayok*
Wednesday February 5 Indiana Pacers Naz Mitrou-Long*
Monday February 10 Minnesota Timberwolves Andrew Wiggins
Sunday February 23 Indiana Pacers Naz Mitrou-Long*
Sunday March 22 Denver Nuggets Jamal Murray
Monday March 30 Memphis Grizzlies Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke
Sunday April 12 New York Knicks R.J. Barrett, Ignas Brazdeikis

With files from NBA

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