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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari is undergoing an appendectomy and will be out of action until Aug. 12 at the earliest, the Italian Basketball Federation announced on Sunday (h/t Eurohoops.net).

He is still expected to represent Italy at the FIBA World Cup this summer, however.

The 30-year-old Gallinari is Italy's top star, joining NBA veteran Marco Belinelli on the squad to give the Italians a solid one-two punch.

The former No. 6 overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 2008 NBA draft has also played for the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers in his career. He was sent to the Thunder this offseason alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a bounty of draft considerations in the Paul George trade that facilitated Kawhi Leonard's signing with the Clippers and shook up the NBA landscape.

The veteran forward appeared in 68 games for the Clippers this past season, averaging career highs in points (19.8 PPG) and rebounds (6.1 RPG). He shot 46.3 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from three and 90.4 percent from the free-throw line.

His ability to hit shots from the perimeter makes him the ideal modern stretch-4, though he's also capable of playing at the 3. He'll undoubtedly be the focal point for Italy at the FIBA World Cup, a tournament that suddenly appears to be wide open given the spate of United States superstars that are skipping.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Eric Gordon, Kevin Love, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Andre Drummond, Tobias Harris and Paul Millsap have all withdrawn from consideration.