It appears USA Basketball isn't holding grudges against every player who withdrew from the program's roster prior to the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
On ESPN's "The Jump" last week, analyst Amin Elhassan suggested that De'Aaron Fox would not be welcomed back to the program for future competitions, adding that he wasn't sure what the Kings guard was "saving himself for."
USA Basketball communications director Craig Miller took exception to the notion, telling The Sacramento Bee on Saturday that the program "understands De'Aaron's decision" to withdraw.
"Given De'Aaron was added into consideration for the World Cup team after originally being part of the USA Select Team in Las Vegas, USA Basketball understands De'Aaron's decision," Miller said.
Fox and Kings teammate Marvin Bagley originally were members of the USA Select Team, which was scheduled to practice against the national team as it prepared for the World Cup.
The duo was called up to the national team roster following a litany of player withdrawals, but ultimately, the Kings duo decided to withdraw from consideration to focus on preparation for the 2019-20 NBA season.
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Skipping the event made sense for Sacramento's players, as the team will play two preseason games in Mumbai, India, adding a significant amount of travel to what's already a grueling schedule for West Coast NBA teams.
Harrison Barnes ended up being the only King who competed for the U.S. team in China, as the 27-year-old scored just under 12 points per game in 26.5 minutes through eight contests.
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Managing Director Jerry Colangelo voiced his frustration with the team's seventh-place finish this past week, and said he would remember all those who decided to withdraw.
Still, look for both Fox and Bagley to be in the mix for spots on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics roster.
