Three time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić will headline Serbia’s national basketball team as head coach Dušan Alimpijević unveiled an 18 player roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifying window in June and July. The Denver Nuggets superstar, who has become a mainstay in international competition after leading Serbia to silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics, anchors a squad that blends established EuroLeague veterans with emerging NBA talent. Serbia will face Switzerland away in Fribourg on July 2 before hosting Bosnia and Herzegovina in Belgrade on July 6, with both matches critical to securing advancement from Group C.
The roster reflects Alimpijević’s balancing act between experience and youth. Joining Jokić are fellow NBA players Nikola Jović of the Miami Heat and Tristan Vukčević of the Washington Wizards, alongside EuroLeague standouts Vasilije Micić of Hapoel Tel Aviv and Aleksa Avramović of Dubai. The backcourt features Stefan Miljenović and Ognjen Dobrić from Crvena zvezda, while the frontcourt includes veterans like Dejan Davidovac and Nemanja Dangubić. The team will gather for preparations beginning June 22 in Belgrade, with a closed door friendly against the Czech Republic scheduled for June 27 at the Aleksandar Nikolić Hall.
Serbia enters the window in a precarious position. After four games, Turkey sits atop Group C with a perfect 4-0 record and eight points, while Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are tied at 2-2 with six points each. Switzerland remains winless at 0-4. The top three teams from each first round group advance to the second phase, where results carry over and the competition intensifies across six team merged groups. Serbia’s narrow 74-72 victory over Bosnia in Sarajevo last November and their 90-86 home win against Switzerland demonstrated their ability to grind out results, but a 78-82 home loss to Turkey and an 86-94 defeat in Istanbul exposed vulnerabilities against the group’s strongest side. With Jokić’s presence expected to stabilize the offense and provide the interior dominance that has made him the NBA’s most uniquely skilled big man, Serbia will aim to secure maximum points and avoid the complications of a potential three way tie. The stakes extend beyond qualification itself, Serbia’s basketball pedigree demands not just a World Cup berth, but a podium challenge in Qatar 2027.
