The latest Team USA Camp will be launched in Las Vegas on July 25 for three days. Most on the 35-player list will participate in the sessions, which are also the first of such programs led by their new head coach, Gregg Popovich.

DeMar Derozan, who was just traded to the San Antonio Spurs, will have the chance to play again with his old teammate, Kyle Lowry, while meeting Popovich, his new coach. Upset with the way he was traded by the Toronto Raptors, Derozan can get to learn more about Pop, who, together with the Spurs, is well known for helping players return to their best.

Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook, three NBA MVPs of respectively 2014, 2017 and 2018, will be playing on the same team. Though Team USA have always been filled with superstars, this case is different because all three were selected by the Oklahoma City Thunders (previously the Seattle Supersonics) in the NBA Draft and have been playing together for four years.

In the summer of 2012, only four months after OKC lost to the Miami Heat 1-4 in the Finals, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets. Two summers later, Durant left Oklahoma City for the Golden State Warriors as a free agent. For years, the Thunders’ management team has been mocked for being excellent at both finding genius and letting them go. Their fans also felt sorry for not being able to see three MVPs play in one team. If Durant, Harden and Westbrook all stayed, at least this wish would be partially realized.

Paul George will need to compete with Victor Oladipo. Just one year ago, anyone who compared George with Oladipo would sound crazy, but not anymore. After he was sent to the Indiana Pacers together with Domantas Sabonis in exchange for George, Oladipo found his best self and led his teammates fight seven games in the 2017-18 NBA Eastern Conference playoffs with LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers.

By contrast, George in OKC became second fiddle to Westbrook. He played one of the most disappointing playoff series against the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference before watching his team get eliminated 2-4. Having lost the first round of indirect competition, this time, George will meet Oladipo directly at the training camp.

Of the 35 players on the list, only 12 will make it to the final squad. That leads to one question: Which guards should remain? The options include Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul, Kemba Walker, John Wall, Russell Westbrook, Mike Conley, James Harden and another nine.

In Team USA, fame is never the deciding factor of who can remain. How much one can contribute and his fitness to the team matter more, like Kenneth Faried at the 2014 FIBA World Cup. However, it will still be unbelievable to abandon super guards like Harden, Wall or Paul. Like the selections of guards for the Western All-Star Team in the past few years, choosing guards for Team USA will be sweet “happy pain” for coach Popovich.