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SALT LAKE CITY — When a reporter asked Utah Jazz vice president of player personnel Walt Perrin last week if the organization ever asked Donovan Mitchell about some of the draft prospects he knows, Perrin had some jokes.
“Why would we listen to Donovan? What has he done?” Perrin dryly said.
After just two seasons in the league, the list of things Mitchell has done is already pretty long, and he can now add another thing to the list.
On Monday, Mitchell was named as one of 20 players who will participate in Team USA training camp from Aug. 5-9. The camp will be used to select the 12-man 2019 World Cup team. The World Cup will be held in China beginning Aug. 31.
Mitchell will join 2019 NBA All-Stars Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, Khris Middleton and Kemba Walker at the camp.
“I am excited about getting to training camp in August and working with all of the players that have been selected to attend the USA National Team training camp in Las Vegas,” USA and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said in a statement. “We’ve got an excellent cross-section of veteran USA Basketball and NBA players, as well as some exciting younger players who possess amazing versatility.”
Mitchell was one of the top guards in the league once the calendar hit 2019. After Jan. 1, Mitchell averaged 26.5 points, 4.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds and earned the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week award twice (Jan. 7 and March 4).
The invite to Team USA's training camp is new ground for the Jazz young star, though. Mitchell is one of just two players on the camp roster that doesn’t have national team experience. Former Utah Ute and current Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma is the other one.
“No invite in HS or college, but I’ll take on this late marathon continues,” Kuzma tweeted in reaction to the news.
Following the camp, the team will reassemble in Los Angeles for a three-day training period leading up to an exhibition contest against Spain at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Aug. 16. The 12-player roster will be announced on Aug. 17.
“I’m appreciative of the commitment that our National Team players continue to make, and the eagerness of the new players to become involved," Popovich said in a statement. “Selecting a 12-man team will be extremely difficult. But I look forward to working with all of the players, representing the United States and doing so in a manner that all Americans will hopefully rally behind.”
Team USA Training Camp roster
- Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings
- Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
- Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
- Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
- Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
- James Harden, Houston Rockets
- Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
- Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers
- Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
- Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
- Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
- CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
- Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
- Paul Millsap, Denver Nuggets
- Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
- Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
- PJ Tucker, Houston Rockets
- Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
- Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
