Twelve players have been selected to represent Team USA in the next phase of the AmeriCup Qualifying Tournament, USA Basketball announced in a press release. All 12 have at least some NBA experience, and seven have represented the U.S. in the past.
One of the most notable names is Robert Covington, an 11-year veteran who remains a free agent after spending last season with the Clippers and Sixers. This is the first USA Basketball experience for the 33-year-old forward.
Also on the team is big man Frank Kaminsky, who was with the Suns during training camp but was waived before the start of the season. Kaminsky was hoping to return to the NBA after playing for Partizan Belgrade in Serbia last season.
Veteran forward Keita Bates-Diop, who was waived by the Timberwolves before the season began, is another prominent name on the roster. Bates-Diop divided last season between the Suns and Nets.
Rounding out the team are Henry Ellenson, Dusty Hannahs, Nate Hinton, Jahmi’us Ramsey, Chasson Randle, Javonte Smart, David Stockton, Paul Watson and Malik Williams.
Team USA will play two games in Washington, D.C., hosting Puerto Rico on November 22 and the Bahamas on November 25. Training camp will begin Friday and will run through November 21.
Former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas will coach the team during competition windows in November and February. His assistants will include Patrick Ewing and Keith Smart.
The Americans went 1-1 in the first window, splitting their games with Cuba. They will travel to Puerto Rico and the Bahamas in February.
The qualifying rounds involve 16 teams that are divided into four groups of four teams each. Each team plays the other members of its group twice, with the top three from each group qualifying for the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup tournament, which will take place August 23-31 2025, in Managua, Nicaragua.
The qualifying games can be viewed for free by setting up an account on Courtside 1891.
Why is this roster so bad? Are there restrictions?
No resteictions, but I guess they dont care much about seeding for this phase. And which team would allow some of their players to join the national team in the middle of the season?
Only job now seems to avoid the last place and in August you could send some actual quality NBA Players to Nicaragua for the tournament.
When events take place during the season, Team USA’s rosters are always made up of free agents and G Leaguers, so the ceiling is only so high.
But the U.S. doesn’t really take the AmeriCup all that seriously anyway — not just in qualifiers but in the event itself. The leading scorers on the 2022 team were Norris Cole, Craig Sword, Jeremy Pargo, and Zylan Cheatham (they won bronze), so this qualifier roster actually looks pretty star-studded by comparison.
Thanks Luke. Your response shows who is a casual and a “fan” of the game.