For the international games at the end of August, national team coach Alex Mumbru can count on some big names. The Spaniard named seven NBA players to the roster; as expected, the Wagner brothers are missing.
World and European champions Germany have their next challenges on the schedule for late August. First up is the Super Cup in Hamburg against the Czech Republic (August 21), followed by a match against either Croatia or Turkey. In the 2027 World Cup qualifiers, they’ll face the Netherlands in Cologne (August 27) and travel to Poland three days later.
Instead of having to do without NBA players during the qualifiers, as is usually the case, national team coach Alex Mumbru will be able to count on seven players who earn their living in the U.S. during the upcoming window: In addition to captain Dennis Schröder—the only NBA player who was also part of the squad in July—Tristan da Silva will also be joining the 2025 European champions. Center Isaiah Hartenstein will also make his long-awaited return to the DBB team. He played the last of his 19 international games over eight years ago under then-head coach Henrik Rödl.
In addition to potential debutant and NBA champion Ariel Hukporti, the roster also includes three recently drafted young players: Jack Kayil, Hannes Steinbach, and Christian Anderson. Steinbach is also still waiting to make his DBB debut.
Only Schröder was there in July
“This window is very important for us because we’re reconnecting with many players we haven’t seen in quite some time. And since it spans 15 days, we can prepare for the future. This commitment shows the players’ sense of responsibility; they all understand the importance of these games,” Mumbru explains on the DBB website. “They want to defend their title at the 2027 World Cup and are also very much looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd. These are sure to be great events for German basketball.”
With Franz Wagner and his brother Moritz, only two NBA players from the national team’s core are missing. Both had announced some time ago that they wanted to take a break this summer. The majority of the EuroLeague players who were part of the World and European Championship squads have also been named to the roster.
Of the players who last played for the DBB about two weeks ago, only Schröder remains on the roster: “In this context, I would like to take this opportunity to once again express my deep gratitude and appreciation to the players who made themselves available during the last window immediately following the season. Without them, we wouldn’t be in such a strong position right now,” Mumbru is quoted as saying. After five wins in six qualifying games, Germany will move on to the second qualifying round starting August 27.