The 28 finalists for Team USA in the 2016 Olympics have yet to be announced, but the 2020 Games are an early priority for USA Basketball, as several players have reportedly been named to the USA Select Team.
The Select Team is the second-tier to the senior team and trains against the national team. It is made up of younger, upcoming players that would become eligible for a potential spot on the national team in the future.
Several players have reportedly been named to the Select Team.
Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com:
#Blazers C.J. McCollum to be invited to USA Select Team, league source tells @clevelanddotcom. Canton native won Most Improved Player honor.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 10, 2016
Candace Buckner of IndyStar:
Big news: #Pacers PF/C Myles Turner has accepted an invitation to participate with USA Basketball Team Select, his agent Andy Miller says.
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) May 10, 2016
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports:
Former North Carolina forward Brice Johnson has accepted an invitation to participate with the USA Basketball Select Team, a source said.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) May 11, 2016
Johnson is the only one of the three with no NBA experience yet. He’s a borderline first rounder in the draft this June.
McCollum was the NBA’s Most Improved Player this season and showed a new level of dynamism.
Turner had a standout rookie season with the Pacers as a versatile and confident big.
The Select Team will continue to round itself out. More possible candidates should include the likes of Jabari Parker, D’Angelo Russell, Aaron Gordon, Devin Booker, Rodney Hood, Justise Winslow, Zach LaVine, and others.
UPDATE: Devin Booker has been added to the USA Select team for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Following from Paola Boivin of the Arizona Central.
The #suns Devin Booker has been invited to be on the select team that plays against Team USA in prep for Olympics, Jerry Colangelo told me
— Paola Boivin (@PaolaBoivin) May 11, 2016
UPDATE:
Detroit Pistons young stars Stanley Johnson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be added to the 2016 USA Select Team. Following from Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. (Hat tip to Palace of Pistons).
The Free Press has learned that rookie swingman Stanley Johnson will be invited to join the USA Select Team, according to two persons with firsthand knowledge of the situation.
Third-year shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will also earn an invite.
Anonymity was requested because the official announcement is still to come.
UPDATE:
Marcus Smart, D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Rodney Hood, Jabari Parker, Zach LaVine and Gary Harris have been added to the USA select team.
Following from Jon Krawczynski of the AP.
Hearing Zach LaVine has been named to the USA Select team that will workout with the Olympic team ahead of Rio Games. Nice honor for him
— Jon Krawczynski (@APkrawczynski) May 12, 2016
From Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
Celtics guard Marcus Smart spent a part of his summer two years ago on the USA Select Team, a group of hopefuls who scrimmaged against the National Team.
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told the Globe on Thursday that Smart, who just completed his second NBA season, will be invited to join the Select Team for a second time. Team USA will begin training for the 2016 Rio Olympics in July in Las Vegas and Smart is expected to be among the Select members.
From Gary Woelfel of the Racine Journal-Times.
USA Basketball czar Jerry Colango just told me Bucks talented young forward Jabari Parker has been chosen to US Select Team. .
— Gery Woelfel (@GeryWoelfel) May 12, 2016
Following from Adrian Wojnarowski of ‘The Vertical’ on Yahoo! Sports.
Sources: Lakers' D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle invited to play for USA Select Team this summer. They'll compete against Olympic team.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) May 13, 2016
From Chris B. Haynes of Cleveland.com.
Utah Jazz swingman Rodney Hood will play for USA Select Team this summer, league source informs @clevelanddotcom.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 13, 2016
Denver Nuggets G Gary Harris has accepted invitation to play for USA Select Team this summer, league source informs @clevelanddotcom.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 13, 2016
UPDATE:
Marc Spears of the Undefeated reports that Providence guard and soon-to-be NBA rookie Kris Dunn will be joining the Select Team.
Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal adds that ex-Michigan State star Denzel Valentine will also be joining the roster.
