Report: Dwight Howard, Chris Paul to attend USA Basketball minicamp
The list of NBA superstars set for the upcoming USA Basketball minicamp continues to grow, with Dwight Howard and Chris Paul the latest names to commit, ESPN's Marc Stein reports.
Howard was forced to withdraw from the gold medal-winning 2012 Olympic team due to back surgery, and he reportedly wants to attend the Aug. 11-13 camp in Las Vegas so that he's eligible to play in the 2016 Olympics. He won gold with the program in Beijing in 2008.
The Houston Rockets center can decline a player option to become a free agent next summer, which could complicate his availability for the Olympics. The 29-year-old has dealt with back and knee issues in recent seasons but this may realistically be his last chance to earn a second medal, and he could deem the risk worthwhile to that end.
Paul, meanwhile, has been a stalwart on the national squad, participating in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
USA Basketball has been adamant that anyone who wants to represent the program in 2016 needs to attend the minicamp, and with so many marquee players wanting a spot, it's unlikely managing director Jerry Colangelo is bluffing. The camp isn't expected to be arduous, limiting the perceived injury and fatigue risks, with Colangelo calling it a "reunion" of sorts.
Based on multiple reports over the last several weeks, here are the players expected to be at the camp:
USA Basketball minicamp |
---|
Carmelo Anthony |
Harrison Barnes |
Bradley Beal |
Michael Carter-Williams |
Mike Conley |
DeMarcus Cousins |
Steph Curry |
DeMar DeRozan |
Andre Drummond |
Kevin Durant |
Paul George |
Draymond Green |
Blake Griffin |
James Harden |
Tobias Harris |
Gordon Hayward |
Dwight Howard |
Kyrie Irving |
Kawhi Leonard |
Kevin Love |
Victor Oladipo |
Chandler Parsons |
Chris Paul |
Mason Plumlee |
Klay Thompson |
Russell Westbrook |
Conspicuous by his absence is LeBron James, who the program believes wants to play but hasn't formally committed. Others missing from the 2012 team include Tyson Chandler, Deron Williams, Andre Iguodala, Kobe Bryant, and Anthony Davis, who have varying degrees of likelihood of suiting up.
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