Suns G Devin Booker among initial USA finalists for 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was named to an initial 44-man roster for USA Basketball as it begins ramping up for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Booker did not play for USA Basketball in the summer of 2019 as they finished in the seventh place for the FIBA World Cup. He has previously taken part in USA Basketball training camps but has not made a senior national team roster.

“He and I had a good conversation about his interest and desire to participate,” USA Basketball men’s team managing director Jerry Colangelo told Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

The Summer Olympic Games will be held from July 24-Aug. 9 in Tokyo. The preliminary group play for men’s basketball will begin July 26.

Team USA has a 138-5 all-time record since NBA players began representing the United States in 1992. It last won gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“We’ve had a lot of conversation about all of these players,” Colangelo said of he and USA Basketball coach Gregg Popovich. “We’re monitoring, we’re watching. We’re going to spend the rest of the NBA season looking at them. Injuries are going to play a significant role — it always does. You can’t project what is going to happen.

“We will select 12 players — not 15, not 18. We’re going to select 12 players the first 10 days of June. That’s going to be our team. I will say this to you: No one, not one player, said ‘Maybe.’ They all said, ‘I’m in. I’m in. I’m in.'”

USA Basketball 2020 Tokyo Olympic finalists

Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs)
Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings)
Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers)
Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)
Mike Conley (Utah Jazz)
Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs)
Andre Drummond (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
Paul George (L.A. Clippers)
Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
James Harden (Houston Rockets)
Montrezl Harrell (L.A. Clippers)
Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets)
Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers)
Gordon Hayward (Boston Celtics)
Dwight Howard (Los Angeles Lakers)
Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)
Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets)
LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers)
Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers)
Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors)
JaVale McGee (Los Angeles Lakers)
Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)
Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers)
Chris Paul (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets)
Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics)
Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors)
Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers)
Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics)
Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets)
Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs)

Managing director:  Jerry Colangelo

Head coach:  Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs

Assistant coach:  Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors

Assistant coach:  Lloyd Pierce, Atlanta Hawks

Assistant coach:  Jay Wright, Villanova University

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