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Indiana Pacers updates 8.1

Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield to play for the Bahamas in Olympic qualifiers later this month

Hield played for the Bahamas last summer too

Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield will play for the Bahamas in Olympic qualifying play later this month, Marc Spears of Andscape reports.

Joining Hield on the roster, per Spears, will be Deandre Ayton from the Phoenix Suns, Kai Jones from the Charlotte Hornets, and Eric Gordon from the Suns. Jones and Hield both played for the Bahamas in FIBA World Cup qualifying play last summer.

The Bahamas Basketball Federation posted their roster on Instagram for the Olympic qualifying games, and the listed roster contained Hield, Jones, and Ayton. Gordon is not among the group.

"It's truly a special experience to compete with teammates who are from where you're from, with Bahamas on your chest," Ayton told Spears.

Hield and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton took a vacation to the Bahamas earlier in the offseason. They went to Nassau, the capital city, together.

"He's like the governor there. They love Buddy Hield," Haliburton explained at the NBA Draft lottery in May. He is currently suiting up for Team USA in their first practices ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Per Spears, the Bahamas have never reached the Olympics. They need to win the tournament they are playing in, which starts on August 14, to keep their qualification hopes alive. Argentina, Cuba, and Panama are in the Bahamas group.

Hield just wrapped up his second season with the Pacers, where he averaged 16.8 points per game and shot 42.5% from deep. He set Indiana's franchise record for made threes in a season back in February.

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