Keegan Murray, Cade Cunningham and Chet Holmgren among players named to USA Select Team
Kings forward Keegan Murray is one of 12 players who will go to Las Vegas to help the United States national team prepare for the FIBA Men’s World Cup.
Mark Bartelstein, Murray’s agent at Priority Sports, told The Sacramento Bee Murray has accepted an invitation to join the USA Select Team, which will train with Team USA in August.
Other players named to the Select Team include the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham and Houston Rockets’ Jalen Green, sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Select Team will practice and scrimmage with Team USA in preparation for the FIBA World Cup, which will be held Aug. 25-Sept. 10 in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. The United States will play three games in Group C Aug. 26-30 in the Philippines.
Earlier this month, USA Basketball announced its World Cup roster. The team will feature 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic) along with Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets); Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks); Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves); Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers); Josh Hart (Knicks); Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans); Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies); Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets); Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz); Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks); and Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers).
The Select Team typically consists of younger players who could represent the U.S. national team in the future. Members of the Select Team can also be chosen as injury replacements for Team USA.
Murray, 22, was an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection last season after coming out of Iowa as the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He started 78 games for Sacramento, helping the Kings make the playoffs for the first time since 2006 as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Murray averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 45.3% from the field and 41.1% from 3-point range. He set an NBA rookie record with 206 3-point goals, surpassing the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry.
