James Harden Skips USA Basketball Camp as Russell Westbrook Joins Rockets

Add Houston Rockets star James Harden to the list of players who will be skipping Team USA's basketball camp this summer. 

Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Harden announced Friday he wants to use the offseason "to prepare for changes with Rockets." 

Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes previously reported Anthony Davis will skip USA Basketball camp and the FIBA Basketball World Cup in September to prepare for his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Kyle Lowry hopes to be ready for camp with Team USA after having surgery to repair a tendon in his left thumb. 

Harden was one of 20 players USA Basketball selected to attend training camp from Aug. 5-9. The final 12-man roster will be determined on Aug. 17 with the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup running from Aug. 31-Sept. 15 in China. 

Houston recently acquired Russell Westbrook in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The move reunites Westbrook and Harden, who played three seasons together in Oklahoma City from 2009-12. 

Harden won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2012 Olympics and led the team to a title at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.