By Mark Bacon
John Wall will participate in Team USA’s minicamp in Las Vegas, scheduled for Aug. 11-13. The All Star Wizards point guard confirmed his intention to join the try outs last evening.
Wall is one of 41 invitees, and was reportedly unsure whether he would join the three-day session, after being one of first three players cut along with teammate Bradley Beal (and Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap.) Beal confirmed he is also participating in the minicamp, held on UNLV’s campus.
All players invited to the minicamp are required to attend for them to be considered for the 12-man roster the U.S. will take to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next summer. Competition for Wall is stiff. Chris Paul, Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook are other point guards vying for a spot in Brazil. Another NBA All Star, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has said that he doesn't plan to attend the minicamp in Las Vegas in August, since Team USA cut him before the FIBA World Cup last year. Chicago Bulls All Star guard Derrick Rose, has also confirmed he will not attend the three-day session.
Wall is coming off his best pro season, including starting in the all-star game and finishing second in the league in assists. The two-time all-star has resumed working out in mid-July for the first time since sustaining five fractures in his left hand and wrist in the second round of the playoffs against the Hawks.
UPDATE (August 7, 2015): Of the 34 players who were in the USA Basketball player pool as of September 2014, 26 have said they plan to be in Vegas next week. They are: LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs); Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks); Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors); Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets); Rudy Gay (Sacramento Kings); Paul George (Indiana Pacers); Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz); Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets); Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs); Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers); Chandler Parsons (Dallas Mavericks); Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers); Mason Plumlee (Portland Trail Blazers); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); John Wall (Washington Wizards); and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).
USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo announced Thursday that Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan will join the list of seven newcomers to the pool confirmed in July: Golden State's Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green, Chicago's Jimmy Butler, Milwaukee's Michael Carter-Williams, Memphis' Mike Conley and Orlando's Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo.
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