DeMar DeRozan will attend Team USA Minicamp

Toronto Raptors star DeMar DeRozan will be attending Team USA’s August minicamp in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games. Alongside DeMar will be an expected 40 other Team USA hopefuls.

This should come as no surprise to Raptors fans after he was a member of the United States Team that won gold in 2014 at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

USA Basketball is hosting this camp in-order to see what players are committed to the program and want to play in 2016. On-court participation is not of emphasis here, it is more of a face-to-face type of camp. Winning gold at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup allows the United States to bypass the FIBA Americas Tournament in September that is used by FIBA as an Olympic qualifier.

DeMar DeRozan Won Gold With Team USA at the 2014 FIBA World Cup// via demarderozan.com

DeRozan will be in-tough fighting for a position on this team as compared to the 2014 World Cup roster. The Olympic minicamp is loaded with superstars and very deep on the wing. James Harden, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant (Lebron James is not expected to play) are virtual locks on the roster and Paul George was reportedly promised a spot on the team following his horrific injury in last summer’s Team USA tryouts. That’s already four-deep on the wing without accounting for NBA MVP Stephen Curry who has spent most of his international career playing at the 2.

For Raptors faithful wondering about Kyle Lowry’s possible participation, it has not yet been reported that he was invited or will attend. He has never played with the USA’s senior men’s team in international competition.

DeRozan averaged 4.8PTS 1.0REB and 1.2AST per game in nine contest at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.