Brazil won't send NBA players to FIBA Americas with Olympic status up in the air

The Brazilian National Federation may know something the rest of the 2016 Olympic basketball hopefuls don't.

Brazil is set to host the 2016 Olympics, which would normally punch an automatic ticket to the basketball tournament. But that berth has come into question in recent weeks, as Brazil reportedly has outstanding debt with FIBA, and the FIBA board will decide by Sunday whether Brazil automatically qualifies for the tournament.

Brazil's roster for the 2015 FIBA Americas tournament, which start later this month in Mexico, suggests Brazil knows it's keeping it's berth.

The program has opted against sending NBA players to the tournament, and several other notable names are missing from the roster. Further, a statement released by the program along with the roster seems to indicate winning is not the primary focus at the Americas:

Within the plan prepared by the Technical Department and the Technical Commission of the Brazilian team, the 2015 season will be used to improve the development and the experience of some athletes, already thinking about the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and the future of the national team.

Should FIBA take away Brazil's automatic berth, it would need to place in the top-two at the Americas tournament to secure a spot, or top-five to secure a place in next summer's 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

By sending what amounts to a developmental squad, by its standards, the No. 9-ranked team in the world seems to be sending a bit of a signal that it's confident in how FIBA will rule later this week.