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Andre Drummond has withdrawn from the USA National Team’s training camp for the upcoming World Cup, USA Basketball announced.
Drummond was scheduled to join training camp this week with exhibition contests set for Aug. 16 and the final World Cup roster announced Aug. 17.
With a flood of withdrawals from the top players in the NBA, Drummond was an elder statesmen among those remaining and looked to be locked in as a big-minutes big man and possible starter on the team.
Big man Montrezl Harrell also withdrew and he and Drummond were replaced by Bam Adebayo and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Previously withdrawing from the team were Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon, James Harden, Tobias Harris, Damian Lillard, Kevin Love, CJ McCollum and Paul Millsap.
The calendar has made participating in the World Cup team tricky, as evidenced by all the players withdrawing to “focus on the season.” The back end of the World Cup schedule in August through mid-September would have conflicted with team minicamp.
With playoff aspirations, a new point guard to build chemistry with in Derrick Rose and a deeper East that means there are no easy rides into the postseason, Drummond has opted to stay close to home.