June 12, 2026, 9:31 a.m. CT
Continuing a trend from recent offseasons, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun will again play for his native Turkey in an international competition.
In 2026, Sengun is headlining Turkey’s roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup European qualifiers, for which two games are scheduled on July 2 and July 5.
For those who qualify, the next FIFA Basketball World Cup will take place in 2027. With a 4-0 record, Turkey currently leads Group C and is in strong position to eventually qualify.
Coming off his second straight NBA All-Star appearance, Sengun — who turns 24 years old in July — is in line to be the clear star on this year’s Turkish squad. He was also the centerpiece in 2025, when Turkey earned the silver medal at that year’s FIBA EuroBasket competition.
From a Rockets standpoint, Sengun’s consistent involvement in international play brings both risks and opportunity. An ill-timed offseason injury is the greatest fear, though it’s worth noting that those can also happen in a non-official capacity. Just ask Fred VanVleet, who tore the ACL in his right knee during a September 2025 scrimmage.
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More realistically, the risk is that while playing year-round basketball, a player might run low on energy due to not taking sufficient time to rest and recover from the grind of an NBA season.
Then again, the opportunity is that by playing in an international competition over the summer, Sengun is likely to report to the Rockets’ training camp in September in peak physical condition. That could allow him to hit the ground running when the 2026-27 season begins in October.
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