Cunningham and Duren make the team!
USA Basketball named 14 players to its Select Team on Monday, which will serve as the opponent for Team USA during its upcoming training camp for the FIBA World Cup plus a proving ground for future national team slots.
The Select Team is stacked with recent top draft picks who are seen as the next generation for Team USA and will be coached by Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley from Aug. 3-6 in Las Vegas.
Cade Cunningham, the 2021 top draft pick who missed almost all of last season for the Detroit Pistons with a shin injury, will make his return at training camp.
Oklahoma City No. 2 draft pick from 2022 Chet Holmgren, who missed all of last season but returned for some summer league games this year, will play alongside teammate Jalen Williams, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. Also from the 2022 draft class is Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings and Jalen Duren of the Pistons.
Third year players Trey Murphy and Herb Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans, Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets and Quentin Grimes of the New York Knicks will take part in the camp. Fourth year veterans Payton Pritchard of the Boston Celtics and big man Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves will also play. Any of this group would be strong candidates to be promoted to the first team if needed, which has happened routinely in the past.
As is customary, players who helped Team USA qualify for the World Cup during six qualifying windows over the last two years have been invited to practice, which will be attended by numerous NBA scouts. They are NBA veterans Langston Galloway and John Jenkins along with former G League Ignite player Eric Mika.
Indiana Pacers assistant coach Jim Boylen, who coached Team USA in the qualifying windows, will serve as an assistant as will Purdue head coach Matt Painter.
Team USA will play five exhibition games in Las Vegas, Malaga, Spain and Abu Dhabi before opening World Cup play Aug. 26 vs. New Zealand (8:40 a.m. ET, ESPN2) in Manila, Philippines.