Germany will head to EuroBasket with Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner and newly signed Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schröder at the forefront of a finalized 12-player roster, the German Basketball Federation announced on August 23.
The lineup also includes Wagner’s Magic teammate Tristan Da Silva along with former NBA centers Daniel Theis and Isaac Bonga. Rounding out the squad are Oscar Da Silva, Justus Hollatz, Leon Kratzer, Maodo Lo, Andreas Obst, Johannes Thiemann and Johannes Voigtmann.
Several notable players will be absent because of injuries. Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein is sidelined by an Achilles tendon problem, while Magic big man Moritz Wagner continues to rehab a torn left ACL suffered in December. In addition, Real Madrid declined to release guard David Kramer after he sustained a muscle injury; Kramer averaged 15.5 points and 4.2 rebounds during EuroBasket qualifying.
“This is a bitter blow for us,” head coach Alex Mumbru said of Kramer’s absence. “David was planned to be an important part of our team. We now have to compensate for his absence as best we can. Of course, I’m also very sorry for him personally; David would have deserved to be there.”
Germany enters the event as one of the sport’s rising powers, having captured the 2023 FIBA World Cup gold medal, finished third at the last EuroBasket they hosted four years ago, and placed fourth at the 2024 Olympics. Schröder, a national-team regular since 2014, made the Olympic All-Star Five last summer, while Wagner earned second-team all-tournament honors at both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.
The Germans have been drawn into Group B alongside Lithuania, Great Britain, Sweden, Montenegro and Finland. Group play begins Wednesday in Tampere, Finland.
Source: HoopsRumors
