USA Basketball Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jaylen Brown, Julius Randle Invited To Team USA Camp

July 23rd, 2019 at 10:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Jaylen Brown of the Celtics and Julius Randle of the Knicks are the latest additions to the USA Basketball training camp roster for the FIBA World Cup, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

They will help to restock the camp after a series of high-profile withdrawals in the past week. Tobias Harris was the latest big name to turn down a shot at making the World Cup team, joining Anthony Davis, James Harden, Bradley Beal, CJ McCollum and Eric Gordon. Decisions are expected soon from Damian Lillard and Kevin Love.

Brown struggled somewhat while adjusting to a reserve role last season, but still put up numbers similar to his breakthrough campaign of 2017/18, averaging 13.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 74 games. At 22, he is part of the young foundation in Boston.

Randle signed with New York after posting a career-high 21.4 PPG in his lone season with New Orleans. The 24-year-old is also a reliable rebounder, averaging 8.7 per night with the Pelicans.

The changes are transforming Team USA from a star-filled squad into a younger group similar to the team that captured the World Cup gold medal in 2010, Charania notes.

Smart, Young Invited To Join USA Basketball Camp

July 22nd, 2019 at 6:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been added to USA Basketball’s training camp roster for the FIBA World Cup this summer, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Veteran forward Thaddeus Young, who signed with the Bulls in free agency this summer, has also been invited to participate, Charania adds in another tweet.

The move was necessitated by the flurry of defections from the original 20-man roster. Anthony Davis, James Harden, Bradley Beal, CJ McCollum and Eric Gordon have already withdrawn from Team USA participation this summer, starting with training camp in Las Vegas in August. Two other players, Damian Lillard and Kevin Love, are also undecided and will announce their decisions in the next few days.

The roster will be trimmed to 12 players for the World Cup in China. Smart, who averaged 8.9 PPG, 4.0 APG and 1.8 SPG last season, would give coach Gregg Popovich a versatile defensive option if he makes the final cut.

Smart joins new teammate and backcourt partner Kemba Walker, who is on the original 20-man roster. That list of 20 invitees to the USA Basketball camp can be found here. Smart signed a four-year deal with Boston last summer.

Young averaged 12.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG in 81 games with the Pacers last season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Harris Withdraws From Team USA This Summer

July 22nd, 2019 at 5:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Add Tobias Harris‘ name to the growing list of USA Basketball players pulling out of consideration for this year’s FIBA World Cup. Harris, who re-signed with the Sixers for five years and $180MM this summer, has decided to focus on the upcoming NBA season, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

Anthony Davis, James Harden, Bradley Beal, CJ McCollum and Eric Gordon have also withdrawn from Team USA participation this summer, starting with training camp in Las Vegas early next month. Two other players, Damian Lillard and Kevin Love, are also undecided and will announce their decisions in the next few days, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports.

Team USA will bring 12 players to the FIBA tournament. Among the players under consideration to replace the stars who have withdrawn, according to Vardon, include Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, D’Angelo Russell, Mike Conley, Josh Richardson, Thaddeus Young and Julius Randle. Select Team members could also be considered for the final 12-man roster, including Trae Young, Vardon adds. Top pick Zion Williamson has withdrawn from the Select Team this summer.

The original list of 20 invitees to the USA Basketball camp can be found here.

No Zion Williamson For Team USA This Summer

July 22nd, 2019 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to the five Team USA training camp invitees that have already withdrawn from 2019 World Cup consideration, a member of the Select Team has now removed his name from the player pool as well. USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) that No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson won’t suit up for the program this summer.

As Charania details in a follow-up tweet, Williamson and the Pelicans are focused on making sure the former Duke standout is “fully integrated” in New Orleans this fall.

Williamson had been on track to participate on the Select Team which will scrimmage against Team USA’s training camp roster next month in advance of the World Cup in China. The Pelicans’ big man reportedly would have had a chance to earn a spot on the 12-man roster with a strong showing, but that scenario is no longer in play.

Williamson joins Anthony Davis, James Harden, Bradley Beal, CJ McCollum, and Eric Gordon among the players who have pulled out of Team USA obligations so far this offseason. The program is still waiting on final decisions from Damian Lillard and Kevin Love, tweets Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

While Team USA hasn’t officially announced the list of players who will make up the Select Team in August, reports have indicated that John Collins, Marvin Bagley, De’Aaron Fox, Jarrett Allen, Mitchell Robinson, and Trae Young are among those expected to participate. If more members of the initial 20-man camp roster withdraw, some of those youngsters could receive consideration for the final 12-man roster.

Bradley Beal Withdraws From World Cup Consideration

July 22nd, 2019 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

Wizards guard Bradley Beal has become the latest Team USA star to withdraw from consideration for the 2019 World Cup, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). According to Haynes, Beal has a new baby on the way in late August or early September, which is when the World Cup is scheduled to take place.

Beal is the fifth player from Team USA’s initial 20-man training camp roster to remove his name from consideration for this year’s event. The squad’s backcourt has been hit particularly hard, with James Harden, CJ McCollum, Eric Gordon, and Beal all pulling out. Anthony Davis has also withdrawn.

Of course, Team USA is only permitted to carry 12 players on its eventual World Cup roster, so there are still more than enough names on the list of camp participants. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some Select Team invitees receive stronger consideration for the final roster — it’s possible USA Basketball will also sent out additional invites to other players.

Here are the 15 players from the initial 20-man list who are still expected to attend training camp next month and vie for the 12 spots on Team USA’s 2019 World Cup roster:

Harrison Barnes, F (Kings)
Andre Drummond, C (Pistons)
Tobias Harris, F (Sixers)
Kyle Kuzma, F (Lakers)
Damian Lillard, G (Trail Blazers)
Brook Lopez, C (Bucks)
Kevin Love, F (Cavaliers)
Kyle Lowry, G (Raptors)
- Note: Lowry recently underwent thumb surgery but reportedly intends to be ready for the World Cup.
Khris Middleton, G/F (Bucks)
Paul Millsap, F/C (Nuggets)
Donovan Mitchell, G (Jazz)
Jayson Tatum, F (Celtics)
Myles Turner, C (Pacers)
P.J. Tucker, F (Rockets)
Kemba Walker, G (Celtics)

Gordon, McCollum Withdraw From U.S. World Cup Team

July 20th, 2019 at 5:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two more potential Team USA players have decided not to participate in the 2019 World Cup. Rockets guard Eric Gordon is withdrawing from the team, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic, and Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum is joining him, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

With James Harden and Anthony Davis pulling out of the competition earlier this week, Team USA is now left with 16 players in training camp who will compete for 12 spots. The withdrawing players all said they want to focus on the upcoming season rather than the tournament, which will be held in China from August 31 to September 15. NBA training camps open in late September.

One of those remaining players, Kyle Lowry, had a surgical procedure on his thumb this week, and may not be physically ready to participate. His potential absence, plus the withdrawal of the four stars, should create more opportunity for members of the select team, who will be scrimmaging with the 16 players left in camp.

The players will gather for camp from August 5-8, and exhibition games will follow later in the month.

Canada’s World Cup team also lost an NBA player this week when Tristan Thompson elected not to participate, Charania tweets. In addition, Ben Simmons confirmed that he won’t be taking the court for Australia.

James Harden Won’t Play In 2019 World Cup

July 19th, 2019 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Another star player has pulled out of the 2019 World Cup, with James Harden confirming today that he’ll skip this year’s event to focus on adjusting to the new-look Rockets backcourt (Twitter link via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle).

[RELATED: Rockets acquire Russell Westbrook]

A report earlier this week indicated that new Lakers big man Anthony Davis was also withdrawing his name from consideration for Team USA’s 12-man World Cup roster.

While the removal of Harden and Davis from USA Basketball’s 20-man training camp roster reduces the group’s star power to some extent, there’s still a ton of talent among the 18-player group, which will eventually be pared down to 12 players for China.

Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, Kemba Walker, Khris Middleton, and Kyle Lowry are among the 2019 All-Stars who are a part of Team USA’s preliminary roster.

They’ll be joined by younger prospects like Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, and Kyle Kuzma, as well as reliable veteran role players like P.J. Tucker, Brook Lopez, Eric Gordon, and Paul Millsap.

Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond, Tobias Harris, Kevin Love, CJ McCollum, and Myles Turner round out the 18-man group.

It remains to be seen if Team USA will add replacements for Harden and Davis.

Kyle Lowry Undergoes Procedure On Injured Thumb

July 18th, 2019 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has undergone a procedure to repair a tendon injury in his left thumb, a league source tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, the recovery process isn’t expected to be particularly lengthy — Lowry is hoping to be ready to participate in Team USA’s training camp next month and the 2019 FIBA World Cup in September.

As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca notes (via Twitter), Lowry dealt with the thumb issue for most of the postseason and had a hard time gripping the ball with his left hand. The 33-year-old was always expected to address the injury – which was reported during the NBA Finals as a ligament tear – during the offseason.

Despite battling the thumb injury, Lowry helped lead the Raptors to their first-ever championship, averaging 15.0 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 4.9 RPG with a .439/.359/.802 shooting line in 24 playoff contests. He’ll enter a contract year in 2019/20 before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.

Lakers Notes: Davis, Howard, Handy, Horton-Tucker

July 15th, 2019 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

When Team USA named its 20-man training camp roster for the 2019 World Cup last month, Anthony Davis‘ name was on that list. However, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the new Lakers star will remove his name from consideration for USA Basketball’s World Cup roster.

As Haynes explains, Davis won’t participate in training camp with Team USA because he wants to spend the bulk of his offseason preparing to attempt a championship run with his new team. The former Pelicans big man remains committed to playing in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, sources tell Haynes.

Davis, a gold medalist in 2012 (Olympics) and 2014 (World Cup), will still attend Team USA’s training camp next month to support his teammates, per Haynes. It’s not clear if USA Basketball has a 20th man lined up to replace AD — the club will eventually pare that group down to 12 players for the World Cup itself.

Here’s more on the Lakers and Davis:

In a conversation with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, Davis said that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka was calling him every “30 to 45 minutes” during free agency. “Rob would call me: ‘AD, what you think about him?’ ‘All right, cool,'” Davis said. “Right back, ‘AD, you know, this is what is going on with him.’ ‘All right, cool. All right.’ Sometimes I had to tell him, like, ‘Rob, I’m in the movies.’ He’d be, like, ‘All right, well, call me as soon as you get out.’ But we’re trying to put the best team around us, and I think he did a great job of doing it.”
Speaking to Arash Markazi of The Los Angeles Times, veteran center Dwight Howard – who technically remains under contract with the Grizzlies for now – said he wouldn’t mind playing in Los Angeles again, either for the Lakers or Clippers. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do love L.A.,” Howard said. “Staples Center is going to be rocking this season.”
The Lakers are hiring veteran assistant coach Phil Handy to join Frank Vogel‘s staff, reports Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). Handy has appeared in five consecutive NBA Finals, having coached in Cleveland before joining Toronto for the 2018/19 season.
Talen Horton-Tucker‘s new two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Lakers is fully guaranteed, a source tells Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Southeast Notes: Ross, Thomas, Wizards, Young

July 9th, 2019 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran swingman Terrence Ross was one of the first players to come off the board after the free agent period officially opened on the evening of June 30, opting to return to the Magic on a four-year deal that will pay him a reported $54MM. However, remaining in Orlando was hardly Ross’ only option.

As John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com details, Ross said he received either serious interest or a contract offer from the Lakers, Jazz, Mavericks, Pacers, and Kings while he was a free agent. Like teammate Nikola Vucevic though, Ross preferred to stick with the Magic.

“I felt like for us, we both had a lot of other suitors, but our main focus all along was here (with the Magic),” Ross said. “It was one of those things where we were like, ‘Hey bro, wanna go and run it back?’ And we both were like, ‘Yeah.’ It worked out pretty quick because we were on the same page and it worked out perfectly.”

Let’s round up a few more notes from around the Southeast…

Speaking to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, new Wizards point guard Isaiah Thomas said his free agency this time around was all about “opportunity,” since he wanted to join a team that would give him a chance to play a regular role. “When the Wizards called and showed interest, with John Wall being out possibly the whole year, that seemed like a big opportunity for me to be able to showcase that I’m 100 percent healthy and that I can still play at the high level that I’m used to playing at,” Thomas said.
The Wizards are interviewing candidates in an effort to hire a new assistant to Scott Brooks‘ coaching staff, reports Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. While it’s not clear what kind of coach the team is seeking, Hughes notes that there has been talk within the franchise about finding someone with a “strong defensive track record.”
According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), Hawks guard Trae Young is expected to be among the players invited to join the USA Basketball Select Team, which will participate in training camp with the Team USA squad in Las Vegas next month prior to the 2019 FIBA World Cup.