So you're sayin' there's a chance.
An invite to the Team USA Select squad rarely comes with an opportunity like it does this summer. With big name players pulling out of the 2019 FIBA World Cup competition there are roster spots up for grabs.
Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox might be a prime candidate to fill one of those open voids.
Team USA is scheduled to open the World Cup tournament against the Czech Republic on Sept. 1 in China. Kemba Walker is the lone healthy point guard when camp opens Aug. 5 in Las Vegas, although the Raptor's Kyle Lowry remains hopeful that he can recover from an off-season thumb surgery in time to suit up.
Walker and Lowry are the only two point guards on the current club and Donovan Mitchell was the only other guard after a long list, including Russell Westbrook, James Harden, C.J. McCollum, Damian Lillard, Eric Gordon and DeMar DeRozan, withdrew from the competition.
The Celtic's Marcus Smart was a late add to the squad, but like many of the other invites, he isn't guaranteed a spot on the traveling team for the tournament.
There is a chance that head coach Gregg Popovich is going to need a point guard or two to fill out the roster and as a member of the Select Team, Fox is in the hunt.
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Fox isn't the only Kings player at the camp. Second year big man Marvin Bagley is scheduled to participate as part of the Select Team and Harrison Barnes is a Team USA hold over.
Coming off a breakout season with the Kings, 21-year-old Fox averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 assists per game. He was a finalist for the NBA's Most Improved Player award and led Sacramento to their best record since the 2005-06 season.
A true point, Fox joins guards Atlanta's Trae Young, Dallas' Jalen Brunson, Pat Connaughton from the Bucks and the Spurs' Derrick White on the Select Team.
One of the better two-way players of the group, Fox has a golden opportunity to show Popovich and his staff that he is worthy of a call up to the main club.
This isn't the first run for Fox with the national program. He was a member of the 2015-16 Junior National team that played at the Nike Hoop Summit. Current Kings players Harry Giles and Wenyen Gabriel were teammates of Fox at the time.
Bagley has an outside shot at making the team as well, but there is an uphill climb for the talented 20-year-old. The current roster has plenty of bigs, including Brook Lopez, Myles Turner, Thaddeus Young, Miles Plumlee, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Kuzma.
While Bagley has tremendous upside, the group ahead of him has both NBA and international experience. He's an underdog to make the big squad, but the experience of playing in the camp against some of the game's best is invaluable.
Barnes isn't guaranteed a spot either, but he has plenty of familiarity with the Team USA program, and his willingness to stick in the program this summer while so many others opted out speaks volumes. Barnes joined the junior national team in 2010 and has remained with the program since, including a gold medal performance in the 2016 Olympic games in Brazil.
Fox, Bagley and Barnes have five days to convince Popovich that they are ready for the bright lights of international play. Training breaks on Friday, Aug. 9 and those left standing will get an invite to a second week of training the following week in Los Angeles as the team prepares for the World Cup.
It's a great opportunity for the three to create deeper bonds and perhaps earn a trip to China to represent their country.
