Jamal Murray pulled out of Canadian lineup ahead of exhibition with France

With 20 minutes until tipoff, the Canada men's basketball team announced that Jamal Murray will not make his return to its lineup for an exhibition match with France on Friday.

The Kitchener, Ontario, native was held out due to rest and has been away from the team due to a personal matter but rejoined it in France earlier this week. Montreal's Lu Dort took his place as the day's starter.

Team Canada has played in one warm-up game leading up to the Paris Olympic Games, when it travelled to Las Vegas to square off against the U.S. on July 10. Despite grabbing an early lead, the Canadians fell to a final score of 86-72, as Murray saw 17 minutes of action and finished with just five points on 25 per cent shooting.

Murray joined the Canadian squad coming off a 2023-24 NBA season that saw him battle through injuries with the Denver Nuggets. Coming out of the Feb. 18 All-Star break, Murray appeared in just 19 regular season games. However, he managed to suit up for 12 post-season contests, where he converted two game winners during the team's first-round series win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Protection over his health may be of the utmost importance for Murray and the Nuggets as he is eligible to sign a four-year, $208-million contract extension with the Denver this off-season. If not, he will become a free agent in 2025.

Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth explained on SiriusXM NBA Radio on July 14 the reasoning behind the lack of extension for the former NBA champion.

"The Olympics are a big deal. I think having him focus on that and getting through that, and when he gets back, and that concludes, I think it'll be pretty easy," Booth said. "I don't think it'll be much of a negotiation."

The men's national team's next game is July 21, where it will battle it out with Puerto Rico to wind down exhibition play. The Paris Olympic Games begin on July 26, with team Canada set to play Greece in its first official game on July 27.