The US Men’s National Team heading to the Tokyo Olympics to represent the USA is stacked.
Before they jump on a plane to Japan, that team needs players to go against in training camp — which starts next week in Las Vegas — and that’s where the USA Select Team comes in. Consider it a “who’s next” list of young stars USA Basketball is watching, players that could well make up future Olympic and World Cup teams.
The USA Select Team is pretty stacked, too. Here is the official roster, released Thursday by USA Basketball:
• Saddiq Bey (Detroit Pistons/Villanova)
• Miles Bridges (Charlotte Hornets/Michigan State)
• Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves/Georgia)
• Darius Garland(Cleveland Cavaliers/Vanderbilt)
• Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento Kings/Iowa State)
• Tyler Herro (Miami Heat/Kentucky)
• John Jenkins (Bilbao Basket, Italy/Vanderbilt)
• Keldon Johnson (San Antonio Spurs/Kentucky
• Josh Magette (Turkey/Alabama-Huntsville)
• Dakota Mathias (Philadelphia 76ers/Purdue)
• Immanuel Quickly (New York Knicks/Kentucky)
• Naz Reid (Minnesota Timberwolves/LSU)
• Cam Reynolds (Houston Rockets/Tulane)
• Isaiah Stewart (Detroit Pistons/Washington)
• Obi Toppin (New York Knicks/Dayton)
• P.J. Washington (Charlotte Hornets/Kentucky)
• Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls/Florida State)
Eric Spoelstra of the Miami Heat will coach the USA Select team.
Some noticeable names are not on that list — Zion Williamson, LeMelo Ball, Ja Morant — due to injury and other commitments. However, it is still loaded with impressive talent, including some of the top rookies from this past season in Edwards, Haliburton, and Bey. Also interesting to see a couple of international players in Josh Magette and John Jenkins on the list (both of whom have played for USA Basketball in the past).
“With all the uncertainty of how many of our Olympic Team members will be available for the USA training camp because of the overlap with the NBA Finals, we chose a USA Select Team consisting of many of the top young NBA players and four players who not only own international experience, but who played recently for USA Basketball in important national team qualifying competitions,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director. “If we need to add players to fill out our roster for any of our exhibition games, we feel this USA Select Team has an excellent variety of skilled players to choose from.”
Colangelo is referencing Devin Booker of the Suns — who is headed to the Finals — and Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton of the Bucks, who could join him.
You can watch Team USA in its tune-up games for the Olympics on the NBC family of Networks — including streaming on Peacock. In all, NBC Sports will present five men’s games and two women’s games, beginning with the USA Basketball men’s game vs. Nigeria on Saturday, July 10 at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBCSN.
Anthony Edwards, Saddiq Bey headline USA Basketball Select Team originally appeared on NBCSports.com