US roster finalized; Rose makes it

NEW YORK—The US has picked the 12 players it believes can defend its world basketball title.

The Americans kept Derrick Rose and cut All-Star Damian Lillard and three others early Saturday morning, getting their roster down to the limit for the Fiba World Cup of Basketball.

Though team officials had said they might carry extra players when they left for Spain on Saturday, and final rosters aren’t due until next Friday, the Americans decided there was no need to wait.

Kyle Korver, Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons also were cut, shortly after the Americans beat Puerto Rico, 112-86, in their final home exhibition game.

“Since taking over the USA Basketball men’s national team program in 2005, this was without doubt the most difficult selection process we’ve gone through,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said in a statement.

The rest of the roster is: Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, DeMarcus Cousins, Klay Thompson, Andre Drummond, Rudy Gay, DeMar DeRozan, Kenneth Faried and Mason Plumlee.

The Americans can still change the roster in event of injury or withdrawal before Friday, a day before the World Cup opener, which is why they originally considered bringing extra players to Spain.