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All-Stars ‘Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton headline USA’s FIBA World Cup commitments list with Knicks’ Jalen Brunson and Nets’ Mikal Bridges also set to represent the Americans’
- Bobby Portis and Austin Reaves are also said to have committed to playing
- USA’s roster is set to start training camp Aug. 3 in Las Vegas before an exhibition
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Names of the commitments for the United States FIBA World Cup roster have started to roll in with some NBA stars making the list, according to multiple reports.
The biggest names said to be joining the team are Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, both of whom were named to this year’s All-Star game, according to the New York Post.
Players also said to be taking part are New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis, and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves.
The 12-man squad, being put together by USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill, coach Steve Kerr and general manager Sean Ford, has not yet been completed, nor has team USA officially announced any of the confirmations it has received.
USA’s roster is set to start training camp August 3 in Las Vegas and play the team plays its first exhibition game August 7 against Puerto Rico. They will then embark on a journey that includes stops in both Spain and the United Emirates before beginning World Cup play on August 26 against New Zealand.
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards headlines the group of commitments
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton also made the All-star game and received a call up
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is said to be making his first Team USA appearance
Of the names currently said to be included, Haliburton is the only one whose team did not feature in post-season play after the Pacers fell just short of qualifying for the NBA play-in tournament.
Edwards, who will turn 22 years old during the team’s training camp in August, averaged 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists this season for the Timberwolves.
He has also previously been a member of the USA select team, which practices against the national team for the Tokyo Olympics.
The 23-year-old Haliburton averaged a double-double this season 20.7 points and 10.4 assists.
Bridges, 26, has not made an All-Star team yet, but he emerged as the Nets’ top player after being traded to Brooklyn for Kevin Durant.
The 6-foot-6 wing averaged 20.1 points for the season as a whole, but his numbers skyrocketed 26.1 points in 27 games for Brooklyn.
Brunson is also 26 and became arguably the Knicks’ standout star this season, averaged 24.0 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.
He was credited as being a huge reason New York made it to the second round of the playoffs this season.
Mikal Bridges saw his average points-per-game sky rocket following his trade to the Nets
Bobby Portis and Austin Reaves are also said to have committed to playing with the FIBA team
Reaves, who is 25, had a breakout season this year for the Lakers. He averaged 13.0 points and shot nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.
He also played a prominent role in the Lakers’ surprising run to the Western Conference finals. Reaves stepped his game up in the playoffs, averaging 16.9 points and shooting 44 percent from deep.
Portis is the oldest of the bunch at 28 and is eight-year NBA veteran. The versatile big man often comes off the Bucks’ bench.
A similar role is likely awaiting Portis on Team USA. He averaged 14.1 points and 9.6 rebounds this season and was under consideration for Sixth Man of the Year.
