USA – Trail Blazers trio expect invites to try out for Team USA

PORTLAND (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Competition for spots in the USA Basketball squad for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey is starting to heat up with Portland's Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden among those expected to vie for places in the team.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo spoke to FIBA.com in January about having a trial for some of the best young players in the game “from which we’ll take maybe the top four or five and add them to our mix and see if some of them might be able to make our team”.

That would depend on how many of the veterans are interested in playing in Turkey and at the London Olympics.

The Oregonian newspaper has reported that Roy, Aldridge and Oden will be invited to a USA Basketball training camp this year.

Aldridge played for the 2008 USA Basketball Select Team that took on Mike Krzyzewski’s Olympic team last summer before they travelled to China to win Olympic gold.

"They told me last year I would get invited back (for this year)," Aldridge said. "I'm going to be there."

Colangelo met with many of the 2008 Olympic basketball heroes during the NBA All-Star break in Phoenix to gauge their interest in playing for the United States in Turkey and at the 2012 London Games.

"I'm sure there are going to be some changes on the roster," Colangelo said to the Oregonian.

"Every four years, you're going to have turnover.

"Even players get old."

As for the training camp, Colangelo said: "The concept is to bring in the best young players and prepare them for the training.

"We want them to understand what we do."

FIBA