Report: Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, More to Join USA Basketball Training Camp
USA Basketball continued building its provisional squad for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, with Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard headlining the group of recent additions to the training camp roster.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Eric Gordon, Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, CJ McCollum and Jayson Tatum will compete for roster spots as well.
The New York Times' Marc Stein reported last Saturday that Kemba Walker already committed to play for the United States and that USA Basketball received "strong indications" from Anthony Davis he'd suit up for the World Cup. Stein added James Harden is likely to play for Team USA.
Lillard is notable because he was a finalist for the 2014 World Cup team and the 2016 Summer Olympics roster but wasn't on either squad.
He averaged 25.8 points per game and a career-high 6.9 assists while shooting 36.9 percent on three-pointers in 2018-19. The Portland Trail Blazers star also hit one of the biggest shots of the playoffs when he eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
He should finally have his chance to compete for international gold.
One prominent star has already ruled himself out for the World Cup. According to The Athletic's Joe Vardon, LeBron James is taking the summer off from international basketball and left open the possibility of a return to Team USA for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
This will be the first major event for head coach Gregg Popovich since he succeeded Mike Krzyzewski after the 2016 Summer Olympics. Jeff Van Gundy was in charge of the squad that won the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup.
Although Popovich has no shortage of talent at his disposal, putting a full roster together is more than just picking the best players. Wojnarowski reported PJ Tucker and Paul Millsap might be targets for Popovich.
The World Cup tips off Aug. 31 in China, with the United States playing Czech Republic in its first game Sept. 1. Training camp for Team USA begins Aug. 5, and the team has four pre-tournament exhibitions.
