Team USA is looking to get bigger.
Jerry Colangelo said Team USA likely to add to its player pool after injuries to Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard and with the only big man on the roster being Tyson Chandler, the natural fit is to look at other bigs.
According to ESPN.com, Colangelo and his staff already have their eyes on a few players.
Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that Sacramento Kings power forward DeMarcus Cousins, Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert, Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe and incoming Kentucky star Anthony Davis -- widely regarded as a lock to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft -- are among the big men under consideration to be among the late additions Colangelo mentioned.SI.com reports that Anthony Davis is going to be the pick out of that group, with one more player likely to be added to the pool as well. The final London roster will have 12 players.
The most natural replacement for Howard is Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum, but Bynum stated publicly in April that he intends to take the summer off to get some rest and treatment for his knees.
The center position isn't a very deep one in the NBA and there aren't a lot of ideal options to choose from. Hibbert is a nice big at 7-3, but inconsistent. Monroe has evolved into a versatile power forward/center combo player, but doesn't have the natural size. Cousins, well, you know what's up with Cousins. And Anthony Davis, while a very interesting fit, is a bit of an unknown.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski likes to play guards and go small and with a number of versatile players on his roster already, is likely interested in another big just for depth purposes.
One player Colangelo wouldn't rule out? Lamar Odom. Here's what he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal recently:
"I'm one who is willing to give someone a second chance," Colangelo said. "I would like to think he'd like to put this season behind him. His Dallas episode hurt his image.
"If he comes in and shows he can be a contributor, and his attitude is good and he wants to be here, why not? As far as USA Basketball is concerned, he's in the pool, and we'll see how it plays out."
Odom was instrumental in Team USA's 2010 gold medal victory in Turkey during the World Championships.
Team USA will train in Las Vegas from July 6-11 and play an exhibition game against the Dominican Republic -- coached by John Calipari -- on July 12 at The Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of UNLV.
Currently the remaining finalists for the 12 open roster slots are Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Tyson Chandler, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, Kobe Bryant, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Love, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams.