ORLANDO, Fla. — Magic forward Paolo Banchero is one of 12 NBA players selected to play for the Men's National Team that will compete at the 2023 FIBA Men's World Cup from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 in Manila, Philippines.

Banchero joins New York Knicks guards Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Halliburton, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, Brooklyn Nets swingman Mikal Bridges and forward Cam Johnson, New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and centers Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies and Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz on the team.

“I think I speak for all of us when I say that we’re very pleased,” Team Managing Director Grant Hill said. “And we were very thoughtful, very deliberate, very intentional about putting together the pieces to the puzzle. It was not easy, but I think we got the desired result. And we’re very pleased with the roster, the versatility, the complementary parts. So, we’ve crossed that hurdle. And now we’ve got a bigger hurdle to attempt to cross as a collective unit.”

Banchero, selected No. 1 overall by Orlando in the 2022 NBA Draft, was named the 2022-23 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team. He played and started in 72 games last season (2022-23) with the Magic, averaging a team-high 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 33.7 minutes per game. He led all NBA rookies in scoring and minutes played.

Of the 12 players, nine have at least some previous USA Basketball experience and six — Ingram (24.7), Edwards (24.6), Brunson (24.0), Haliburton (20.7), Bridges (20.1) and Banchero (20.0) — averaged at least 20 points per game in the NBA last season. But none has been part of a World Cup or Olympics team before now.

“We have all new guys, all rookies,” Hill said. “And we’re going to have to really work and just prepare them, build them up as we get them ready for the international game and a little different style of play.”

Players have been getting the international basketball — slightly different from the NBA ball — to work out with in recent weeks, so they can familiarize themselves with that element of the FIBA game before arriving in Las Vegas for the start of a weeklong training camp on Aug. 2.

The team will be coached by Golden State’s Steve Kerr, assisted by Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Tyronn Lue and Gonzaga’s Mark Few. The coaching staff will gather to continue making plans in Las Vegas early next week; also expected to be part of that gathering is Jim Boylen, who coached the teams of G League and international players that went through a 12-game schedule to qualify the U.S. for the World Cup.

The Americans will play five warmup games before the World Cup: on Aug. 7 against Puerto Rico in Las Vegas, Aug. 12 against Slovenia and Aug. 13 against Spain in Spain, then Aug. 18 against Greece and Aug. 20 against Germany at Abu Dhabi. 

The World Cup runs from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. The Americans will be in Manila for their entire stay in the tournament and have group-stage games against New Zealand on Aug. 26, Greece on Aug. 28 and Jordan on Aug. 30. The Americans are in Group C. The New Zealand and Greece contests tip off at 8:40 a.m. Eastern Time, with Jordan starting at 4:40 a.m. ET.

The tournament is the primary qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The United States — which finished only seventh at the 2019 World Cup in China, but still good enough to earn a spot into the Tokyo Olympics — must finish as the best or second-best team from the Americas Region at the World Cup to qualify automatically for Paris. The Americans seek to win a fifth consecutive Olympic title.

The top two World Cup finishers from Europe and the Americas, as well as one from Africa, Asia and Oceania, will earn berths for Paris.