MIAMI (United States) – The decisive stage of the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers has arrived. Window 3 will determine the 12 teams that remain in the race to Qatar, while the others will see their World Cup dreams come to an end. At this crucial stage, each national team’s biggest stars will be expected to step up. Here are 10 players who could make the difference and deserve your attention during the games from July 2–6.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - CAN
POINT GUARD
Date of birth: July 12, 1998 Height: 198 cm / 6'6" Team: Oklahoma City Thunder (USA) The NBA MVP from the past two seasons returns to lead Canada, which will take advantage of this summer to reunite several of their biggest stars under new head coach Gordon Herbert, who will make his debut. In his last appearance with the national team, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 21.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Since then, he has added two NBA MVP trophies and an NBA championship to his resume. This past NBA season, he averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds. Without question, he is the biggest star set to compete in Window 3 in the Americas.
Deandre Ayton - BAH
CENTER
Date of birth: July 23, 1998 Height: 213 cm / 7'0" Team: Los Angeles Lakers (USA) Ayton gives the Bahamas a major presence in the paint. In each of the three tournaments he has played with the senior national team, he has averaged a double-double. His most recent appearance came at the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where the Caribbean side finished just one win away from earning a spot at the Olympics. He averaged 19.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in that event. He is coming off a season in which he helped the Lakers reach the NBA Playoffs while averaging 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds.
Mike James - USA
POINT GUARD
Date of birth: August 18, 1990 Height: 185 cm / 6'1" Team: AS Monaco (FRA) When the USA announced their preliminary roster, James immediately stood out. He has been one of Europe's most dominant offensive players over the past decade thanks to his elite scoring ability and playmaking skills. This will be his first appearance with the U.S. National Team, and although he is well accustomed to the FIBA game, it will be interesting to see how he performs in this setting. Last season in France's top division, he averaged 16.0 points, shot 43 percent from three-point range and dished out 4.9 assists per game.
Enrique Freeman - PUR
POWER FORWARD
Date of birth: July 29, 2000 Height: 206 cm / 6'9" Team: Minnesota Timberwolves (USA) Puerto Rico's federation confirmed Freeman's availability for this window, and his debut could not come at a better time. The Puerto Ricans have little margin for error in Group B and need reinforcements. Freeman saw limited NBA action last season, appearing in just four games and averaging 3.3 points on a team that relied on a short rotation throughout the year. Still, he possesses the athleticism and talent that are highly valued in the FIBA game.
Andres Feliz - DOM
POINT GUARD
Date of birth: July 15, 1997 Height: 183 cm / 6'0" Team: Real Madrid (ESP) Feliz returns after missing Window 2. Over the past few years, he has become one of Dominican Republic’s leaders and one of their most important offensive pieces. He proved that in Window 1 by averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Although Real Madrid finished the season without a trophy, Feliz made valuable individual contributions by bringing energy and versatility to the point guard position. He averaged 7.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 17.2 minutes per game.
Bruno Caboclo - BRA
POWER FORWARD
Date of birth: September 21, 1995 Height: 208 cm / 6'10" Team: Dubai (UAE) Caboclo is one of the region's most versatile big men and a cornerstone of Brazil's National Team. His playing time in the Adriatic League was limited this season—just 14.3 minutes per game, averaging 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds. Still, he consistently raises his level whenever he puts on the Brazil jersey. He will make his Qualifiers debut. At the FIBA AmeriCup 2025, where Brazil captured the title, he averaged 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Francisco Caffaro - ARG
CENTER
Date of birth: May 19, 2000 Height: 207 cm / 6'9" Team: Boca Juniors (ARG) An ankle injury kept Caffaro out of Argentina's February games, but he is now back at the disposal of head coach Pablo Prigioni. During Window 1, he led the team with averages of 16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and a 22.5 efficiency rating. He carried that momentum into the Basketball Champions League Americas, where he was named Final Four MVP after averaging 13.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 blocks while leading Boca Juniors to the title.
Joaquin Rodriguez - URU
SHOOTING GUARD
Date of birth: June 14, 1999 Height: 194 cm / 6'4" Team: Zaragoza (ESP) This is the second time Rodriguez has appeared on our Players to Watch list during these Qualifiers—and for good reason. He has emerged as one of the competition's biggest revelations. Rodriguez had already shown his talent with Uruguay, averaging 14.0 points and 4.5 rebounds at the FIBA AmeriCup 2025. He has taken his game to another level in the first two qualifying windows, posting averages of 19.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists with a 23.5 efficiency rating. In Spain's top division this past season, he averaged 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 20.9 minutes per game.
Braian Angola - COL
SHOOTING GUARD
Date of birth: April 6, 1994 Height: 195 cm / 6'5" Team: Gran Canaria (ESP) Colombia is a different team with Angola on the floor. His offensive skill set is irreplaceable for the squad, as evidenced by his 13.2 points per game this season in the Basketball Champions League Europe. He played only one game in these Qualifiers—the opener against Venezuela—where he recorded an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double. Although he struggled from the field (2-for-12), he still played a key role in Colombia's victory. Now, with crucial games against Venezuela, Chile and Brazil ahead, Angola's contribution will be vital to Colombia's hopes of reaching the Second Round.
Iverson Molinar - PAN
POINT GUARD
Date of birth: December 3, 1999 Height: 183 cm / 6'0" Team: U-BT Cluj-Napoca (ROU) Molinar will play a pivotal role during this window, especially with Jhivvan Jackson sidelined by injury. The point guard missed Window 2 after averaging 21.0 points and 4.5 assists in Window 1, but he is now back and ready to be one of head coach Nelson Colón's primary offensive weapons. He is coming off an outstanding season after helping his club win the Romanian first-division championship, contributing 11.8 points and 3.2 assists per game. DISCLAIMER: The players featured in this article were included on the preliminary rosters released by their respective National Member Federations. However, the final 12-player rosters for each team competing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers Window 3 will be confirmed following the Technical Meetings held one day before each game.
FIBA