Predicting USA Basketball’s subsequent Olympics males’s roster for 2028 Los Angeles Video games

America males’s basketball nationwide group is an Olympic dynasty. Crew USA’s triumphant gold medal run on the 2024 Paris Olympics made it 5 straight gold medals — and eight of the final 9 — for this system. This explicit USA group felt particular for thus many causes, significantly as a result of it will likely be the Olympic swan track for a number of the best gamers of all-time.

Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant carried Crew USA to gold. These are three of the top-15 gamers in NBA historical past, they usually symbolize the strongest technology of American males’s basketball expertise because the core of 1992 Dream Crew. Curry and James can be of their 40s in 2028 and have already indicated they gained’t be taking part in. Durant can be months away from his fortieth birthday by the point the Los Angeles Video games come round.

The legends that saved USA Basketball in Paris gained’t be there in 2028. Crew USA must construct a brand new core at a time when the remainder of the world continues to slim the expertise hole the U.S. has at all times loved. America’ gold medal dynasty in a dangerous state getting into the Los Angeles Video games, and it might want to fully overhaul the roster to maintain it going.

Rather a lot can change in 4 years, however right here’s our prediction for USA Basketball’s males’s roster on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Pictures

Guards

• Anthony Edwards, G, Minnesota Timberwolves: Ant-Man is the largest lock for the 2028 USA roster. He was the youngest participant on Crew USA in Paris, and can flip 27 years outdated through the Los Angeles Video games. Ant-Man provides Crew USA an explosive backcourt scorer with elite athleticism and hard shot-making capacity everywhere in the flooring. He may very well be this group’s major scorer.
• Devin Booker, G, Phoenix Suns: Booker was considerably surprisingly named a starter in Paris, and carried out effectively as a connective piece round Crew USA’s three veteran superstars. He’ll be 31 years outdated in 2028, and could be able to step into a much bigger position if he desires to play. He ought to have a spot on this group if he desires it.
• Tyrese Haliburton, G, Indiana Pacers: Haliburton was a part of the 2023 World Cup group and 2024 Olympics group, however he didn’t get off the bench in any respect in Paris. He’ll solely be 28 years outdated in 2028, and will go from the tip of the bench to the group’s primary catalyst. USA Basketball has at all times been at its finest getting up and down in transition, and taking part in quick is Haliburton’s specialty. He doesn’t really feel like a lock for the 2028 roster, however I’ll give him the sting over Jalen Brunson — who may have 4 extra years of taking part in for Tom Thibodeau on his legs by then.
• Ja Morant, G, Memphis Grizzlies: This was the toughest spot to choose. Right here’s a brief checklist of names thought of: Tyrese Maxey, De’Aaron Fox, LaMelo Ball, Trae Younger, Derrick White, Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard. Morant appears like each the most secure wager to be a star producer in 2028, and arguably has the best upside. Think about a beginning backcourt of Morant and Edwards. Good luck staying in entrance of these guys.

Forwards

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• Kevin Durant, F, Phoenix Suns: Why not? Durant loves ball as a lot as anybody on the planet. He’d be getting ready to his fortieth birthday going for gold medal No. 5 in Los Angeles, however his mixture of dimension and taking pictures will nonetheless make him efficient. The ladies’s group in Paris simply reserved a spot for a legend in Diana Taurasi over youthful stars, and KD may get the identical remedy in LA.
• Jayson Tatum, F, Boston Celtics: Tatum’s need to play in LA can be maybe the largest storyline for the roster building. He was basically mothballed by head coach Steve Kerr in Paris, and when he did get on the ground, he didn’t make a single bounce shot. He’ll be 30 years outdated in 2028, and will very effectively be the one finest American-born participant alive at the moment. Whereas it’s attainable his poor Olympic expertise in Paris may deter him from taking part in, Tatum has been a part of USA Basketball since he was 16 years outdated, and it’s exhausting to stop a relationship that has lasted that lengthy.
• Paolo Banchero, F, Orlando Magic: Banchero looks like the largest lock for the roster among the many forwards. He performed effectively for Crew USA on the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and has already chosen to decide to the US over Italy. Banchero lacks elite athleticism and has struggled along with his scoring effectivity due to it, however he may nonetheless be the most effective scorers on this planet in 2028 and has a sport that works effectively for FIBA ball as a result of he’s robust sufficient to play via contact.
• Cooper Flagg, F, Duke: Flagg was already education NBA gamers at USA coaching camp this yr at simply 17 years outdated. He’s being hyped as the subsequent huge factor in American basketball, and for my part he’s worthy of the reward. Flagg will solely be 21 years outdated in 2028 (!), however he’ll be adequate to make the group and needs to be the way forward for this system. Different names thought of for this spot: Brandon Miller, Scottie Barnes, Keegan Murray, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Cameron Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa.
• Zion Williamson, F, New Orleans Pelicans: That is my wildcard selection to finish the roster. Williamson hasn’t lived as much as the hype to this point, however he lastly proved he may keep (principally) wholesome final season. He’ll solely be 28 years outdated in 2028, and nonetheless has an opportunity to be the face of American basketball at that time in his profession.

Bigs

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Will Anthony Davis and/or Joel Embiid play for Crew USA on the 2028 Olympics? I’m skeptical. Embiid can be 34 years outdated, and his expertise in Paris was a little bit of a rollercoaster. Davis can be 35 years outdated, and already has an extended damage historical past. My guess is each gamers are out, which suggests the People want some new bigs.

• Chet Holmgren, C, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder: Holmgren isn’t a conventional FIBA huge: his sport is predicated extra round talent than pure energy, and he’s not precisely bodying anybody within the paint with a skinny body. Nonetheless, Holmgren’s perimeter talent on offense and rim safety on protection makes him America’s most promising younger middle. He’ll be 26 years outdated in 2028, and needs to be firmly within the prime of his profession as the most effective bigs within the NBA.
• Bam Adebayo, C, Miami Warmth: Would Bam join a 3rd gold medal run? Crew USA higher hope so. Adebayo can be 31 years outdated in 2028, and would offer extra beef inside for an American roster that may want somebody who can play with extra physicality within the paint.
• Dereck Energetic II, C, Dallas Mavericks: Will Energetic turn into sufficient of a scoring risk to make this group? His rim safety is phenomenal, however he’ll have to enhance his offense to earn an invitation. Crew USA doesn’t have to hold three facilities with Flagg and Banchero sufficiently big to man the 5 for stretches, nevertheless it’s at all times higher to have extra dimension in FIBA. The middle room is the largest query for Crew USA in 2028. We’ll give Energetic a slight nod over Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jarrett Allen, Jalen Duran, Kel’el Ware, and others.

Who’re the subsequent males up?

If Tatum, Durant, Adebayo, and Booker flip down an invite, who ought to Crew USA be eying? Tyrese Maxey appears like the very best guard on the board, Brandon Miller is the very best wing accessible, Scottie Barnes works effectively as a two-way ahead. Keegan Murray is one other title I preserve circling again to as a wing who can shoot threes with quantity and has sufficient defensive capacity to remain on the ground.

USA males’s basketball is getting into a transition part forward of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Examine again in 4 years to see how shut we got here to precisely predicting the roster.