MANHATTAN, New York – A person with knowledge of the decision claimed on Sunday that New York guard, Josh Hart, had pledged to USA Basketball that he will participate in this summer’s World Cup.
According to the source, who spoke to The Associated Press under the condition of anonymity because USA Basketball has not yet released the team’s roster, Hart is the 12th and, likely, final player to pledge his or her allegiance. The team’s training camp in Las Vegas starts in early August, so that announcement is anticipated to be made at some point this month.
And for a variety of reasons, the roster might still change. USA Basketball will pick a select team for the World Cup squad to play and train against in Las Vegas.
On the list of players who have committed, Hart is joined by his Knicks teammate Jalen Brunson, as well as Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn, Paolo Banchero from Orlando, Anthony Edwards from Minnesota, Tyrese Haliburton from Indiana, Austin Reaves from the Los Angeles Lakers, Brandon Ingram from New Orleans, Walker Kessler from Utah, Bobby Portis from Milwaukee, and Jaron Jackson Jr. from Memphis.
A number of factors could still cause the roster to alter. Players from the select team may be added to the World Cup roster in the event of an injury or in the event that a committed player withdraws from the tournament. USA Basketball has selected this team for the World Cup squad to play and train against in Las Vegas.
Along with Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn, Paolo Banchero from Orlando, Anthony Edwards from Minnesota, Tyrese Haliburton from Indiana, Austin Reaves from the Los Angeles Lakers, Brandon Ingram from New Orleans, Walker Kessler from Utah, Bobby Portis from Milwaukee, and Jaron Jackson Jr. from Memphis are also on the list of players who have committed.
Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines are hosting the World Cup from August 25 through September 10. The Americans’ group stage matches against New Zealand on August 26, Greece on August 28, and Jordan on August 30 will take place while they are in Manila for the duration of the competition.
For the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the competition serves as the main qualifying event. For the U.S. to automatically qualify for Paris, where they will compete for their fifth straight Olympic gold medal, they must finish as the best or second-best team from the Americas Region in the World Cup.
A seat in Paris 2024 will go to the top two finishers from each of the four World Cup regions—Europe, the Americas, one from Africa, Asia, and Oceania.