Durant, Rose, Griffin accept invitations to USA Basketball minicamp next month

Durant, Rose, Griffin expected at USA minicamp

Kevin Durant, rookie of the year Derrick Rose and college player of the year Blake Griffin are among the 25 players who have accepted invitations to participate in the USA Basketball national team minicamp.

The roster of players was announced Thursday in Las Vegas, where the Americans will train from July 22-25. The minicamp will be used to identify prospects for openings on the U.S. teams in the 2010 world championships and 2012 Olympics.

Durant nearly made the U.S. team that played in the Olympic qualifier two years ago and is a leading candidate to wear a USA uniform. Griffin was expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft later Thursday by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Also expected at the minicamp are: Portland’s Greg Oden, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Jerryd Bayless; Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green; Memphis’ O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay; New Jersey’s Devin Harris and Brook Lopez; Utah’s Ronnie Brewer, Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver; Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young; the Lakers’ Trevor Ariza; New York’s David Lee; Minnesota’s Kevin Love; Atlanta’s Josh Smith; Charlotte’s D.J. Augustin; Indiana’s Danny Granger; and Boston’s Glen Davis.

Some of the players trained with the Americans on the select team of young players who scrimmaged against the national team in 2007 and last summer before the Olympics.

The camp will close with a blue-white exhibition game at Thomas & Mack Center on July 25. An announcement is expected that week on whether Mike Krzyzewski will return to coach the team.