Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic headlines Serbia’s preliminary roster for the July qualifying window for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, as BasketNews.com relays. Jokic will be joined by fellow NBA players Nikola Jovic (Heat) and Tristan Vukcevic (Wizards), though Bogdan Bogdanovic (Clippers) and Nikola Topic (Thunder; back surgery) won’t be available.

Jokic nearly helped the Serbian national team upset the United States at the 2024 Olympics before eventually falling in the semifinals. Serbia defeated Germany in the third/fourth game to claim the bronze medal.

The three-time NBA MVP’s other results with Serbia have been fairly disappointing in recent years, as the team was upset by Finland in the Round of 16 at EuroBasket 2025 after losing to Italy at the same stage of the previous edition of the tournament in 2022. Bogdanovic led the Serbians to a silver medal at the 2023 World Cup, which Jokic didn’t compete in after helping Denver win its first title.

Here are a few more international items of interest:

• Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell won’t be able to play for Belgium during the July qualifiers, he announced in a statement through the men’s national team (via Twitter). Mitchell, who suffered a soleus (calf) strain in the Western Conference finals loss to San Antonio, said he’s focused on recovering from that injury. “Wearing the Belgian jersey means a great deal to me,” Mitchell wrote in part (story via Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops).
• Nine-year NBA veteran Tony Snell has signed a contract with Cholet Basket, the team announced in a press release. The 34-year-old wing will stay in France’s top domestic league after spending the 2025/26 season with Bouzalac.
• Another former NBA wing, Sterling Brown, is parting ways with Partizan Belgrade to sign with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, per Stefan Acevski of Eurohoops, relaying a report from Pedrag Saric of Serbian outlet Meridian Sport. Brown, who played parts of six NBA seasons after being selected 46th overall in 2017, was under contract through next season, so Zalgiris will have to pay a buyout to Partizan.
• Zalgiris Kaunas has officially signed Maxwell Lewis to a multiyear contract, the EuroLeague team confirmed (Twitter link). Lewis, a former second-round pick who spent two years in the NBA (most recently with Brooklyn in 2024/25), will be on loan with the London Lions for the ’26/27 campaign, as previously reported.