O'Shay Brissett could have competed for the Canadian national team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris but turned down the opportunity.
The reason? Brissett, who spent last season with the Boston Celtics, wanted to focus on NBA free agency.
Canada said in a statement on Wednesday that Brissett had been removed from the national team prior to training camp at his own request to focus on his NBA career.
It's a bit of a head-scratching move for the 26-year-old forward who may never get the chance to play in an Olympic game again, but given the uncertainty of free agency, he likely felt the need to secure his next NBA home first and foremost.
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Brissett declined his $2.5 million player option just after the Celtics put the finishing touches on their quest for an NBA title. There has been very little news about Brissett since free agency began on Sunday, which may indicate his market isn't as active as one would think. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe wrote on Tuesday:The door is not completely closedOn Brissett returning to Boston.
Brissett has been pushing for a bigger role after regularly being left out of Boston's regular rotation. The 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward played his fewest minutes per game since his rookie season. He briefly stepped into the spotlight in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, when he recorded two points, three rebounds and three steals in 12 minutes off the bench for a plus-18 rating.
Brissett can provide energetic defense as a reserve but his offensive output is limited — he's more of a slasher than a shooter, shooting just 27.3 percent from the 3-point line last season.
The Celtics essentially bring back everyone from their current championship team except for Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk, and they also re-signed Drew Peterson to a two-way contract on Wednesday.
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There may be a path back to Boston for Brissett, but for now he seems determined to go elsewhere, even if it means giving up the Olympics to do so.
