JJ Barea to reportedly skip the 2019 Basketball World Cup

Jul 20, 2019 12:30 PM

According to Tim MacMahon of the ESPN, J.J Barea will not play for Puerto Rico in the upcoming Basketball World Cup.

The 35-year-old guard has been recovering from a ruptured Achilles he suffered in January and will not be 100% ready to play in September.

The Dallas Mavericks re-signed Barea, who is expected to be back on time for next season, to an one-year, minimum deal.

Barea told ESPN that this was an extremely difficult decision due to how much pride he takes in representing Puerto Rico. He’s still trying to help his national team in the World Cup by recruiting pro players with Puerto Rican roots.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 20, 2019

Free agent guard JJ Barea has agreed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal to return to the Dallas Mavericks, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2019