Two Memphis Grizzlies named to USA Basketball's National Team pool for 2024 Paris Olympics

Two Memphis Grizzlies players have been announced as members of the 41-player pool for the 2024 USA Basketball Men's National Team.

Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane will have a chance to make the 12-player roster that will compete in the 2024 Olympic games in Paris this summer. Jackson played last year for Team USA during the FIBA World Cup, but Bane was coming off of a foot injury.

USA Men's Basketball managing director Grant Hill had previously said that the national team reached out to Bane ahead of the World Cup.

"He had called me a few times," Bane said last summer before the FIBA World Cup. "He wanted me to play, but ultimately I couldn't due to my health."

Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who recently had surgery on a labrum tear in his right shoulder, was not included in the player pool. Some of the notable names on the list are LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum. A total of 28 of the 41 players have previously represented Team USA Basketball.

“The United States boasts unbelievable basketball talent and I am thrilled that many of the game’s superstars have expressed interest in representing our country at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games,” Hill said in a statement. “It is a privilege to select the team that will help us toward the goal of once again standing atop the Olympic podium. This challenging process will unfold over the next several months as we eagerly anticipate the start of national team activity."

Competition will be stiff for a spot on the Olympic roster. Jackson started at center during most of the World Cup run and averaged 8.1 points per game in seven appearances. His game has grown with the Grizzlies this season. Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo and Embiid will likely be his competition for a spot on the roster.

Bane's 3-point shooting is an asset that USA could covet, and his growth as a playmaker makes him an ideal fit. He'll be in a crowded group of guards.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr, Desmond Bane in Team USA Olympics pool