While AmeriCup qualifying scheduled to take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in February will not feature NBA talent since it takes place in the middle of the season, two former NBA All-Stars plotting their returns to the league will star for Team USA.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on Wednesday morning that both Isaiah Thomas and seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson will suit up for the United States with the hopes of showing off their talent and getting an NBA contract out of it.
So, the Team USA roster is taking shape for the AmericaCup in San Juan next month: Joe Johnson – seven-time NBA All-Star — is planning to play for the Americans too, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/0OSlo5mEgJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 27, 2021
Johnson, who is 39, last appeared with the Pistons and played in the Big 3 in 2019. Thomas had a solid season with the Wizards in 2019-20 but did not appear in the Bubble after being traded to the Clippers and then waived after the trade deadline.
Team USA team will be coached in the 2021 AmeriCup (which used to be known as the FIBA Americas Championship) by longtime NBA assistant Joe Prunty, and compete against teams from across North and South America in the tournament. We’ll have to see how the rest of the roster shakes out, both for qualifying and the proper tournament, but next month will serve an opportunity for two fan favorites in Johnson and Thomas to show NBA teams what they have left in the tank while also having the pride of representing their country in international competition.
As teams near the halfway point of the NBA season, the trade market has begun to heat up and final rosters will take shape as well. Depending on what Johnson and Thomas show in Puerto Rico, perhaps they could be intriguing veteran bench fillers for playoff teams in the stretch run.