Detroit Pistons’ Saddiq Bey called up to Team USA for exhibition games

Detroit Free Press

There’s another Detroit Piston on USA Basketball’s top team, at least for the next week.

Saddiq Bey was reportedly elevated from the USA Basketball Select Team — think the Washington Generals to the Olympic team’s Harlem Globetrotters — on Friday ahead of Team USA beginning exhibition play Saturday. The Athletic’s Shams Charania was the first to report it. Bey joins fellow Piston Jerami Grant on the top squad. Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart was also on the Select Team but he left the squad after injuring his ankle in practice this week.

Bey is one of three Select Team members called up to the top squad for the next week as Team USA waits for the NBA Finals to end and Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton to be available for competition. Cleveland’s Darius Garland and San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson were also called up from the Select Team.

THE PLAN: What Pistons’ Bey plans to gain from USA Basketball Select Team invite

ZOOM TO GROW: Bey loves his Dodge Scat Pack and the city’s racing culture

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: How Bey can improve after historic rookie season

Bey, the Pistons’ third first-round pick in 2020 at No. 19 overall out of Villanova, was named to the 2021 NBA All-Rookie first team (along with Stewart on the second team) after averaging 12.2 points and 4.5 rebounds a game in 2020-21 with the Pistons. He also shot 38% from beyond the 3-point line; his 175 made 3-pointers were a franchise rookie record. He also had 21 games with at least four 3-pointers made, setting an NBA record for rookies.

Team USA faces Nigeria at 8 p.m. Saturday night in Las Vegas. (The game will be broadcast on NBCSN.) It’s the first of five exhibition games for Team USA in Vegas before heading over to Tokyo for the Olympics. The U.S. will face France on July 25 in its Olympic opener.

Team USA’s exhibition schedule (all games in Las Vegas)

Saturday: Nigeria, 8 p.m., NBCSN.

Monday: Australia, 8 p.m.

Tuesday: Argentina, 6 p.m.

Friday: Australia, 6 p.m.

July 18: Spain, 9 p.m.

Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford.

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