Milwaukee forward Charlie Villanueva has been released by USA Basketball, a move that gets him one step closer to playing for the Dominican Republic team.

"The process has not been fully completed, but we don't expect any obstacles," Villanueva told ESPNdeportes.com. "The most important thing is to follow up after submitting the documents so the process is not interrupted."

Villanueva was born in Queens, New York, to Dominican parents.