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With just nine available players, Team USA promoted seven players, including three NBA players, from its Select Team for five exhibition games over the next week.
Saddiq Bey of the Detroit Pistons, Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs will be available for minutes if needed starting with Saturday night’s game against Nigeria in Las Vegas.
In the event one of the national team players can’t make it to Tokyo — three players are currently competing in the NBA Finals — these three would be candidates to make the national team.
The Select Team was hit hard during training camp. By Friday, seven team members were out of practice. Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves was out after suffering a minor injury Thursday, sources said, and Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat sat out for undisclosed reasons. Five other players already were out after suffering injuries or due to COVID protocols.
John Jenkins, Josh Magette, Dakota Mathias and Cam Reynolds, four experienced international players who have practiced with the senior team in an effort to prep its members for international rules this week, are also staying for the warm-up games.