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

The US males’s basketball nationwide staff 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 staff felt particular for therefore many causes, significantly as a result of it will likely be the Olympic swan tune for a few 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, and so they characterize the strongest technology of American males’s basketball expertise because the core of 1992 Dream Crew. Curry and James might be of their 40s in 2028 and have already indicated they gained’t be enjoying. Durant might 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. The US’ gold medal dynasty in a deadly state coming into the Los Angeles Video games, and it might want to fully overhaul the roster to maintain it going.

Quite a bit 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 Photos

Guards

• Anthony Edwards, G, Minnesota Timberwolves: Ant-Man is the most important lock for the 2028 USA roster. He was the youngest participant on Crew USA in Paris, and can flip 27 years outdated in the course of the Los Angeles Video games. Ant-Man provides Crew USA an explosive backcourt scorer with elite athleticism and hard shot-making skill everywhere in the flooring. He might be this staff’s major scorer.
• Devin Booker, G, Phoenix Suns: Booker was considerably surprisingly named a starter in Paris, and carried out nicely as a connective piece round Crew USA’s three veteran superstars. He’ll be 31 years outdated in 2028, and can be able to step into a much bigger position if he needs to play. He ought to have a spot on this staff if he needs it.
• Tyrese Haliburton, G, Indiana Pacers: Haliburton was a part of the 2023 World Cup staff and 2024 Olympics staff, 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 He’ll solely be 28 years outdated in 2028, and will go from the top of the bench to the staff’s primary catalyst. USA Basketball has at all times been at its finest getting up and down in transition, and enjoying 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 might have 4 extra years of enjoying 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 record of names thought of: Tyrese Maxey, De’Aaron Fox, LaMelo Ball, Trae Younger, Derrick White, Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard. Morant seems like each the most secure guess to be a star producer in 2028, and arguably has the very best upside. Think about a beginning backcourt of Morant and Edwards. Good luck staying in entrance of these guys.

Forwards

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photos

• Kevin Durant, F, Phoenix Suns: Why not? Durant loves ball as a lot as anybody on the planet. He’d be on the point of his fortieth birthday going for gold medal No. 5 in Los Angeles, however his mixture of measurement and taking pictures will nonetheless make him efficient. The ladies’s staff in Paris simply reserved a spot for a legend in Diana Taurasi over youthful stars, and KD might get the identical therapy in LA.
• Jayson Tatum, F, Boston Celtics: Tatum’s need to play in LA might be maybe the most important storyline for the roster building. He was primarily 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 nicely be the one finest American-born participant alive at the moment. Whereas it’s attainable his poor Olympic expertise in Paris might deter him from enjoying, 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 most important lock for the roster among the many forwards. He performed nicely for Crew USA on the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and has already chosen to decide to america over Italy. Banchero lacks elite athleticism and has struggled together with his scoring effectivity due to it, however he might nonetheless be among the best scorers on the earth in 2028 and has a recreation that works nicely for FIBA ball as a result of he’s sturdy 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 following 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 staff and must 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 alternative to finish the roster. Williamson hasn’t lived as much as the hype up to now, however he lastly proved he might keep (largely) 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 might be 34 years outdated, and his expertise in Paris was a little bit of a rollercoaster. Davis might be 35 years outdated, and already has an extended harm historical past. My guess is each gamers are out, which implies the Individuals want some new bigs.

• Chet Holmgren, C, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder: Holmgren isn’t a standard FIBA huge: his recreation relies extra round ability than pure energy, and he’s not precisely bodying anybody within the paint with a skinny body. Nonetheless, Holmgren’s perimeter ability on offense and rim safety on protection makes him America’s most promising younger middle. He’ll be 26 years outdated in 2028, and must be firmly within the prime of his profession as among the best bigs within the NBA.
• Bam Adebayo, C, Miami Warmth: Would Bam join a 3rd gold medal run? Crew USA higher hope so. Adebayo might be 31 years outdated in 2028, and would supply extra beef inside for an American roster that may want somebody who can play with extra physicality within the paint.
• Dereck Vigorous II, C, Dallas Mavericks: Will Vigorous change into sufficient of a scoring risk to make this staff? 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, however it’s at all times higher to have extra measurement in FIBA. The middle room is the most important query for Crew USA in 2028. We’ll give Vigorous a slight nod over Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jarrett Allen, Jalen Duran, Kel’el Ware, and others.

Who’re the following males up?

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

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