The German national team will play in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (TQO) in Split from June 29 to July 4 but will surely have to compose without its major players. Indeed, the Chicago pivot, Daniel Theis (2.03 m, 29 years old), will not be part of the team. He has announced that he prefers to focus on his future in the NBA as he is a free agent this summer. He doesn’t want to get hurt and risk spoiling potential offers from several NBA franchises. The free agency starts on August 2 and contracts can only be officially signed from August 6. Cleveland player Isaiah Hartenstein (2.13m, 23) is in the same situation. The two interiors will therefore not play with the Germans with during this TQO. The new sports director of the German Federation, Felix Leuer, reacted to the absences: “They both withdrew, of course we understand them.”
Denis Schröder, leader of the Mannschaft, could also be absent because he has just refused the contract extension that the Lakers gave him ($ 80 million for 4 years). Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic) and Isaac Bonga (Washington Wizards) will also be free this summer and may not participate in this TQO.
Maximilian Kleber is the only German player in the NBA who is currently certain to be present at TQO. He will still play for the Dallas Mavericks next season and has just finished his season, eliminated by the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.
Under coach Henrik Rödl, 12 players of the German national team are currently training: Justus Hollatz (Hamburg Towers), Lukas Wank (Basketball Löwen Braunschweig), Haris Hujic (BG Göttingen), Bjarne Kraushaar (JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers) , Jan-Niklas Wimberg (NINERS Chemnitz), Len Adam Schoorman (FRAPORT SKYLINERS), Robin Benzing (Casademont Zaragoza / ESP), Philipp Herkenhoff (RASTA Vechta), Filip Stanic (s.Oliver Würzburg), Leon Kratzer (Telekom Baskets Bonn) , Philipp Hartwich (BG Göttingen), Luc Van Slooten (Basketball Löwen Braunschweig). Certainly while waiting for the reinforcement of the teams engaged in the playoffs, Bayern Munich and ALBA Berlin facing each other in the playoffs currently.
