CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) 鈥� Brandon Knight still holds out hope of returning to the NBA. He鈥檚 hoping that wearing USA across his chest for the next few days gets him closer to that goal.
Knight is one of the for the start of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup. The team鈥檚 first game is in Managua, and it鈥檚 the start of six two-game windows that will be held between now and March 2027.
As it does for most qualifying windows, USA Basketball put together a team that almost certainly will be together for only these two games; after Friday, the Americans return home and will play Nicaragua again at College Park, Georgia, on Monday.
鈥淚 still have love for the game,鈥� Knight said. 鈥淓ven if I wasn鈥檛 playing and striving, I鈥檇 be working out every day anyways. And, honestly, it鈥檚 about my kids. At the peak of my career, my son was not even here yet. My daughter wasn鈥檛 here yet. So, I want them to still be able to see Daddy moving around, being active. My goal is to hopefully at one point return to the NBA and if they could see that, man, that would be it for me. I鈥檒l keep striving whether I end up there or not.鈥�
Knight, Torrey Craig, Kessler Edwards, MarJon Beauchamp, Kyle Guy, Nate Hinton and Javonte Smart 鈥� all with NBA regular-season experience 鈥� will be part of the team, as will Pedro Bradshaw, Garrison Brooks, Jaden Shackelford, Jeremiah Tilmon and Ryan Woolridge. Stephen Silas is coaching the team, which held a training camp at the University of Miami before heading to Nicaragua.
Knight has the most experience at the NBA level with 451 appearances. And USA Basketball men鈥檚 national team director Sean Ford 鈥� who puts together these teams 鈥� said Knight didn鈥檛 need much convincing to take this two-game deal.
鈥淲hen I called him, you could almost see the smile through the phone,鈥� Ford said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 such a good guy and he鈥檚 always smiling. And when I was explaining this to him, he was like, 鈥榊eah, I could do that.鈥� Everyone here said yes right away. Maybe they didn鈥檛 know 100% of what they鈥檙e getting into, but they鈥檙e looking to advance their careers. Hopefully they can do that here and hopefully they can also just have a good basketball experience.鈥�
Knight last played in the NBA more than 3 1/2 years ago, appearing with the Dallas Mavericks. He never has played in an NBA playoff game; there were three seasons in which he played for a team that reached the postseason, but two of those teams traded him away in-season and his 10-day contract with Dallas expired before the Mavs鈥� 2022 playoff run.
He currently is playing in Puerto Rico, so he鈥檚 familiar with the differences in the game internationally 鈥� which will help in the environment that the Americans expect to see in Managua. (“It’s going to be crazy and I can’t wait,” Knight said.) But another lure for Knight was camp in Miami, his hometown and the area where he was generally considered the best high school player in the country as a junior and senior before he enrolled at Kentucky.
鈥淚t鈥檚 home. Born and raised here,鈥� Knight said. 鈥淚t feels awesome to have a NBA-type setting and then be able to go home. It鈥檚 nothing like anything I鈥檝e been able to experience since I became a pro in 2011. It鈥檚 awesome.鈥�
Knight is also well aware of the stakes. For qualifying games, USA Basketball generally puts together teams of G League players and others who are playing abroad. For the World Cup and the Olympics, the rosters get filled by big-name NBA players. And in the qualifying rounds, the only times the Americans generally get attention is if they lose 鈥� which sometimes happens in these games.
Knight wants that challenge.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to be selfless,鈥� Knight said. 鈥淏eing a father now of two, that鈥檚 what life is about, being selfless. I鈥檓 a big believer in that you reap what you sow. And if the only time that this team will be recognized is if we lose, that鈥檚 life. It鈥檚 an honor to have that challenge. It鈥檚 an honor to play for the USA. It鈥檚 an honor to have a target on your back and to be chosen for this. And it鈥檚 always good to serve.鈥�
___
AP sports:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
