LAS VEGAS, -- Portland big man LaMarcus Aldridge has dropped out of next week's Team USA training camp here, and any Olympic hopes he might have for 2012 have been damaged."He just decided that he didn't want to do it,'' USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said in a phone interview Wednesday morning with FanHouse. "He's not going to come.''
With Aldridge not giving what appears to be a satisfactory reason for not wanting to be part of this summer's World Championships team, Colangelo said his chances of remaining on the roster for the 2012 Olympics are affected.
"It's not a positive in this case,'' said Colangelo, later adding that you still "never close the door.''
The 10 holdovers from the 2008 Olympic team who are on the 34-man roster are still in good graces to play for Team USA in the 2012 Olympics. Colangelo said the difference is they have "equity'' in playing for USA Basketball that Aldridge can't match.
"We'll move on (without Aldridge),'' Colangelo said.
Colangelo also confirmed that Dallas center Tyson Chandler will be part of the training camp in Las Vegas, which begins Tuesday and runs through a July 24 intrasquad game. Charlotte general manager Rod Higgins, who traded Chandler on Tuesday to the Mavericks, told FanHouse on Tuesday that Chandler had been invited.
"We wanted to get some extra bigs,'' Colangelo said of Chandler. "He's got size, and he's got a chance.''
Colangelo said 22 players are confirmed for next week's camp, and the roster will be officially unveiled Thursday. Those on the 34-man roster who won't be on hand are the 10 Olympic holdovers, Aldridge and injured Boston center Kendrick Perkins.
Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com or on Twitter@christomasson
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