Bahamian National Basketball Association (NBA) players Valdez ‘VJ’ Edgecombe Jr., Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield, DeAndre Ayton and Eric Gordon are among the headliners on the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s (BBF) preliminary roster for the final window in the first round of competition of the 2027 FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Basketball World Cup Americas Qualifiers. The team needs two wins, in the last two games of the first round, to confirm qualification for the second round of the qualifiers.
The Bahamas’ senior men’s national basketball team preliminary roster includes Edgecombe, Hield, Ayton, Gordon, Kai Jones, Deyton Albury, Lathaniel Bastian, Domnick Bridgewater, Jaraun ‘Kino’ Burrows, Garvin Clarke Jr., Radshad Davis, Romad Dean, Donavan ‘Donnie’ Freeman, Samuel Hunter, Fredrick King Jr., Aaron Levarity, Tavario Miller, Franco Miller Jr., Isaiah Mobley, Travis Munnings, Leano Rolle, Valentino Simon, Kentwan Smith, and AJ Storr.
Team Bahamas features a wide mix of heavy hitters, collegians, and overseas professional talent ahead of this final window, which will feature consecutive home matchups against Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
The host nation will first go head-to-head against Jamaica on Friday, July 3, at 8 p.m., and will return to face Puerto Rico on Monday, July 6, at 7:10 p.m., both at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium in Nassau, The Bahamas.
The national team is looking to make some noise in these next two games with the support of the home crowd as its “sixth man”.
The Bahamas earned its lone victory in Group B play against Jamaica during the previous window.
Bahamian guard Franco Miller Jr. scored a game-high 32 points in the group’s narrow 99-96 triumph over its counterparts in Kingston, Jamaica, in February.
Overall, the team is now tied with Puerto Rico with a 1-3 win/loss record and five points.
Canada has already secured one of three available qualifying spots for round two, leading Group B with an undefeated 4-0 record and eight points. Jamaica remains in second position with a 2-2 record and six points.
Only the top three teams in the group will advance to round two of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Americas Qualifiers.
What makes this preliminary roster unique is that the majority of the players selected also suited up for Team Bahamas during its historic run at the 2024 FIBA Olympic Men’s Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain.
The national team, led by veterans Hield and Gordon, along with big man Ayton and athletic guard Edgecombe, powered the group all the way to the final, where it eventually lost 86-78 to host nation Spain.
During that run, the veterans mainly shouldered the load for Team Bahamas, but Edgecombe showed that he could hang with the pros even before signing his first professional contract.
Hield was the leading scorer during that campaign, averaging a team-high 19.8 points to go along with 5.8 assists per game.
Ayton, who ended last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, was also special, averaging 19.5 points and a team-high 11.8 rebounds per game.
One player to watch in this upcoming window will certainly be Edgecombe, who has continued to improve following his one-year stint at Baylor University and a stellar 2025-26 NBA rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
While playing in Spain, Edgecombe was the team’s third-leading scorer at 16.5 points per game, ranked second on the team in assists at 3.8 per game, and led the squad in steals with two per game.
The combination of veteran leadership and athletic wings provides a strong foundation for Team Bahamas, which will look to win its next two games in hopes of securing a spot in round two of the qualifiers.
The preliminary roster is expected to be trimmed to the final roster in the coming weeks.
Fans can purchase tickets for the event via the website https://nsa-bahamas.com/events-tickets/.
Sponsors are encouraged to contact the BBF at telephone number (242) 557-0026.
