One of the newest New York Knicks, Julius Randle, could be heading to China for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
As stars continue to drop off Team USA’s training camp roster for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, an opportunity arises for New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Randle has been added to Team USA’s training camp roster.
Randle is coming off the best season of his career. In his one-year stay with the New Orleans Pelicans, Randle posted a career-high 21.3 points to go along with 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
He showed his value as a starter and off the bench. It’s unlikely that he’ll do anything but start for the Knicks. However, his experience as a sixth man could prove valuable to Team USA in China.
The FIBA World Cup usually doesn’t have the same kind of star power that the Olympics bring. However, with players like James Harden, Bradley Beal, and Anthony Davis on the initial training camp roster, it looked like Team USA was set to bring a star-studded team anyway.
But for one reason or another, most of the big names have pulled out. As much as NBA fans wanted to see those big names in China, Knicks fans should have plenty to watch.
If Randle can crack the final roster, he’s one of three Knicks who could potentially be playing in the World Cup. RJ Barrett (Team Canada) and Frank Ntilikina (Team France) are both expected to compete for a roster spot on their respective teams.
