NEW YORK -- Knicks forward Andrea Bargnani has been suffering from pneumonia that will keep him from playing for the Italian national team in next month's EuroBasket, according to the Italian Basketball Federation.
Bargnani, who was traded to the Knicks in early July, had joined the national team for training but needed to pull out due to his illness, which he's been battling since early August.
The Italians said in a statement Tuesday that Bargnani's condition had improved this week but not to the point of allowing him to recover in time for the tournament, which begins Sept. 4 in Slovenia.
"The FIP, in light of the last medical tests done on the player and having considered the report of its medical staff, grants leave to Andrea Bargnani not to present himself to the training stage of the national team currently taking place in Trieste," the statement said.
The Knicks are planning team workouts and scrimmages after Labor Day, so it's likely Bargnani will miss those as he continues his recovery. But he should be healthy once training camp begins in October.
Italy last won the gold medal in EuroBasket, the main basketball tournament for national teams in Europe that takes place biennially, in 1999 when Bargnani was just 14 years old.
"The FIP thanks Bargnani for his work done and wishes him the best of luck for the future," the statement said.