Indiana Mad Ants Jordan Bell and Elfrid Payton join Team USA temporarily, replacement players added

Indiana Mad Ants players and NBA veterans Elfrid Payton and Jordan Bell will be playing for Team USA this month.

The two have been selected for the February 2024 USA Men’s AmeriCup Qualifying Team. They will play a game against Cuba tomorrow in Florida before traveling to Cuba for another game on Sunday in Havana.

The Team USA group began training camp on February 16. They are led by head coach Jerome Allen, and former Pacers assistant coach Bill Bayno is an assistant for the squad.

In 17 games for the Mad Ants this season, Payton is averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 9.6 assists per game. He's been among the team's best players, and both he and Bell have been key leaders. "Just kind of finding a way to further my career, trying to get back into the NBA. Kind of went back and forth between overseas and the G League," he told AllPacers of joining the Mad Ants last season.

Bell, meanwhile, has played in 37 games for Indiana this season. He's averaging 11 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. The former NBA Champion signed a training camp deal with the Pacers this season — as did Payton — and they were both waived before the campaign.

Once this Team USA window is over, Bell and Payton will be able to return to the Mad Ants. In the meantime, the team signed guard Jaire Grayer and forward Daniel Giddens as International Duty Replacement players.

Grayer played for the Mad Ants last season, where he scored 4.3 points per game in four outings. He appeared in Indiana's G League playoff game as well. Giddens has previous G League experience with both the Iowa Wolves and Westchester Knicks.

Unrelated to these moves, the Mad Ants said goodbye to Reid Travis on Wednesday. He's headed to an international opportunity.

The Indiana Pacers G League affiliate team resumes play after the All-Star break tomorrow when they host the College Park Skyhawks. Their team will look different.