MIAMI (United States) - Hoping to a clinch a spot in the 2022 AmeriCup, Puerto Rico added a skilled and experienced point guard to the roster in NBA and AmeriCup veteran Jose Juan (J.J.) Barea for the final qualifying window. Puerto Rico, who sits in third place in Group D at 1-3, faces Mexico on February 19 and the Bahamas on February 20 in San Juan.

The 36-year-old Barea recently signed with Estudiantes in Madrid, Spain after a 14-year career in the NBA where he played 11 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and won the 2011 NBA Finals. For the last three years, Barea played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 8.9 points, 3.9 assists in 831 games.

Barea was a member of the Puerto Rican national team that won silver at the 2013 AmeriCup, then known as FIBA Americas Championship, and bronze in 2007.

In addition to Barea, Puerto Rico’s roster for the upcoming window includes, Glen Clavell, Gilberto Clavell, Iván Gandía, Isaiah Piñeiro, Emmanuel Andújar, José Rodriguez, Alexis Colón, Benito Santiago Jr., Isaac Sosa, Devon Collier, Jorge Bryan Díaz, Timajh Parker-Rivera and Chris Ortiz. In the last qualifying window in November, the team went 1-1 with a blowout loss against Mexico and a win against the Bahamas.

 FIBA