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Jazz forward Gordon Hayward was the first player to learn he’d been cut from the USA basketball roster following Friday’s win over Puerto Rico.
ESPN’s Marc Stein tweeted the news Friday night.
ESPN sources say Utah's Gordon Hayward is the first of four players Team USA must leave behind Saturday to have already learned his fate
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 23, 2014
Hayward would've been informed by Saturday. But I'm told he asked about his status directly this week when signs pointed to not making team
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 23, 2014
Hayward was one of four DNP-CDs in Friday's exhibition win over Puerto Rico along with Andre Drummond, DeMar DeRozan and Damian Lillard
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 23, 2014
As Stein tweeted, Hayward was one of four players who didn’t play because of a coach’s decision Friday night. The others were Andre Drummond, DeMar DeRozan and Damian Lillard.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski said at his postgame press conference that the team will cut four players before traveling to Spain next week. The Americans will play an exhibition game Tuesday against Slovenia in the Canary Islands before opening the FIBA World Cup next Friday against Finland.