SACRAMENTO -- Kings big man Marvin Bagley’s summer reportedly just got a little busier. USA Basketball tabbed the 20-year-old for its Select Team at an August training camp in Las Vegas ahead of September's FIBA World Cup, ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported Wednesday, citing league sources.
Bagley earned first team All-Rookie honors after posting 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his first campaign with the Kings. He was limited to just 62 games due to left knee injuries, but the No. 2 overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft is considered one of the team’s long-term building blocks.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
In addition to Bagley, point guard De’Aaron Fox is likely to draw interest from the Select Team as well. The speedy guard turned heads in his sophomore season in Sacramento, and is a finalist for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. Fox was also a member of the 2015-16 USA Basketball men’s Junior National Team
Bagley isn’t the only current player from the Sacramento squad to have earned recognition with the national-team program. Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein participated in the Select Team during the summer of 2016 ahead of the Rio Olympics.
Harry Giles won gold as a prep athlete at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship, 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship and 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
[RELATED: Giles plays special role in couple's wedding plans]
NBA
A pair of former Kings even won Olympic gold while they plied their trade in Sacramento. DeMarcus Cousins spent time in the national program with both the Select Team, and won a gold medal in Rio. Basketball Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond won gold at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta while playing for the Kings as well.
It’s a tremendous opportunity for Bagley to train under NBA legend Gregg Popovich alongside some of the league's bright young stars on the Select Team, and play against some of the greatest players in the world in practices. For some players, the Select Team is a stepping stone to earning a spot in major tournaments with USA Basketball.