Two Northwest stars, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love, announced yesterday that they'll play for Team USA in the 2014 World Cup of basketball, but we don't know exactly who'll join them. USA Basketball Executive Director Jerry Colangelo says he'll narrow the pool of prospects to 25 or 30 by January, and he'll have until 48 hours before next summer's event begins to name a final roster, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com points out (Twitter links).
Here's more from around the Northwest division:
- Durant believes current Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook and former teammate James Harden will play in next summer's World Cup as well, ESPN.com's Marc Stein writes in his latest round-up of tidbits from Team USA's camp. That would leave just eight of 12 roster spots to be filled.
- Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor remains confident that the team will finalize a new deal with Nikola Pekovic, and doesn't think he'll have to call Pekovic personally, though he'd be open to doing so, says Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Within his latest piece on the Nuggets, Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post writes that Denver remains likely to re-sign Timofey Mozgov, and hears from GM Tim Connelly that the team "absolutely" plans to keep Andre Miller.