Way-too-early predictions for Team USA 2028 Olympic men's basketball roster

The 2024 Paris Olympics barely ended a few weeks ago, but we’re already turning our attention to the Team USA 2028 Olympic roster. Why? Because the USA Basketball men’s team could look drastically different by then! Plus, it’s August, and we have nothing to better to do.

For all the avid basketball content consumers, there’s a very good reason Team USA could look a lot different four years from now, aside from the obvious fact that, ya know, it’s four years from now. This 2024 run was enjoyable for a number of reasons, but the biggest one for most fans was getting to watch LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant team up like the Avengers to help bring home the gold.

By 2028, James will be 43, Curry will be 40 and Durant will be 39. If any of those three are healthy and still interested in suiting up for one last Olympic run, Team USA would obviously carve out a spot for them. But LeBron has already shot down the idea, and Curry said this type of opportunity “might not come around again.” Durant left the door open, but even if KD is fully healthy and willing to go for a fifth Olympic gold medal, Team USA will still prominently feature the next two generations of NBA stars.

But who has the best chance of making the cut? Let’s go through the best options at each position in order to put together a way-too-early, best possible roster for Team USA at the 2028 Summer Olympics.

PG options for Team USA 2028 Olympic roster

Jalen Brunson (31)

Team USA didn’t really need another point guard, but Jalen Brunson was arguably the best American player that didn’t make the cut in 2024. Tyrese Haliburton’s limited minutes didn’t exactly silence the notion that Brunson deserved a spot (though one could easily argue that neither Haliburton nor Brunson would’ve seen minutes on this stacked squad). Either way, Brunson is coming off a career year where he averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game to earn Second Team All-NBA honors. If he and the New York Knicks continue their upward trajectory, he might be a no-brainer four years from now.

Tyrese Haliburton (28)

Despite how good Brunson is and how few minutes Haliburton received, don’t count the Indiana Pacers star out for 2028 by any means. Team USA won’t have a point forward like LeBron James to lean on, and Haliburton’s ascendance has turned his team into one of the best League Pass experiences. Being able to knock down pull-up 3s and set the table for everyone else will be a valuable asset on a stacked roster, and although he’s not a lockdown defender by any means, having Olympic experience under your belt usually makes the transition into a more prominent role a lot smoother. He’ll still be in his prime and could be the NBA’s premier floor general by then.

Tyrese Maxey (27)

They don’t call him Tyrese Minimum-ey! At 23 years old, Maxey just put up 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game on efficient shooting splits, and he’s still got plenty of room for growth. Four years from now, he could be one of the most unstoppable players in the league, especially if he’s still lightning quick at that stage of his prime. If Brunson or Haliburton can’t play for whatever reason — or even if they can — Maxey will be in the running for one of the last point guard spots. How he was left out of this year’s 41-player Olympic pool, we’ll never know.

Ja Morant (29)

This is entirely contingent on Morant coming back healthy, keeping his head on straight and avoiding all the off-court pitfalls that’s nearly derailed his career. If he can do that, (starting in 2024-25) he stands a good chance of reminding the world how sensational, electrifying and downright great he is. But unlike Maxey, there’s a reason he wasn’t named to Team USA’s 41-player Olympic pool, so he’ll have to prove he can do it beyond just next season. If he can, he might catapult up this list, passing some certified All-Stars in the midst of their primes.

Trae Young (29)

Ice Trae gets a bad rap because of his horrendous defense, and because the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been relevant since that flukey run to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. Based on the roster Atlanta put around him, it doesn’t look like he’ll get a chance to redeem himself anytime soon. His size and poor defense makes him a questionable fit for Olympic basketball, but you never know what injuries might shrivel up the point guard pool. Besides, for all the concerns about his flaws, Young is still an offense unto himself thanks to his shooting and elite playmaking. He was also named to Team USA’s Olympic pool this year, so he can’t be counted out just yet.

Cade Cunningham (26)

The Detroit Pistons haven’t done him any favors, but Cade Cunningham hasn’t exactly burst onto the scene the way people were expecting either. He’s still got plenty to prove entering his fourth NBA season, but the good news is, he’s got three years and change to do it. If he can continue to evolve as a scorer, jump shooter, playmaker, defender and all-around floor general with his command of the game, he might have an outside shot at one of these guard slots. With that being said, there will likely be better options here, and the Pistons’ long path back to relevance might hold him back, even as he enters his prime.

De’Aaron Fox (30)

Fox’s greatest asset is his speed. Betting against him still being lightning-quick at age 30 would be foolish, but Fox is still in a tier below most of the guards on this list. So not only would he need to still be one of the fastest players in the world to have a puncher’s chance, but he’d need to prove he can bring more to that table than he currently does in order to close the gap on superior options like Brunson, Haliburton, Maxey and Morant.

SG options for Team USA 2028 Olympic roster

Devin Booker (31)

“I’ll do it” might be the best catchphrase to emerge from Team USA’s 2024 Olympic run, but by 2028, Book may need to go from being the unsung hero to the more assertive version the Phoenix Suns enjoy every year. Devin Booker did all the little things in Paris, including defending on the perimeter, making unselfish passes, knocking down 3s and understanding his role. Four years from now, the Americans may need him to do all those things again, but they’ll probably also need him to expand into more of a scoring role. Either way, he’s virtually guaranteed a spot if he wants to compete for a third gold medal.

Anthony Edwards (26)

Ant’s 2024 Olympics were a bit of a roller coaster ride, but there’s no question he’s currently emerging as one of the league’s elite 2-guards. By 2028, he’ll be an established superstar at the peak of his powers, and now that he’s got this experience under his belt, hopefully he’ll be able to harness those scoring bursts a little better in an Olympic setting. His playmaking will continue to evolve, which should help with some of the tunnel vision problems we saw in Paris. If Edwards is interested (and it sounds like he is), he’s another lock.

Devin Booker: “I’ll see you in LA, boy! Yeah I’ll see my boy in LA!”

Anthony Edwards: “Me and Book running’ the show in LA, you know what I mean?” pic.twitter.com/QuIJWbms6v

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) August 20, 2024

Donovan Mitchell (31)

A spot probably only opens up for Mitchell if Booker and/or Edwards decide to skip 2028, but more than likely, they’ll both be in Los Angeles. That probably leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers star out in the cold, since Book and Edwards are more well-rounded players now, have more experience in this setting, and will most likely still be better options by 2028.

Jalen Suggs (27)

Maybe Suggs makes an unexpected leap on the offensive end, but that feels unlikely. He still needs to prove he can knock down 3s at a respectable clip for more than one season first. But he could very easily fill a Derrick White kind of role, and he’s already an elite perimeter defender who earned Second Team All-Defensive honors at age 23. That can absolutely help on the Olympic stage, so between that and his inclusion on the 2024 USA Select Team, we’ll give Suggs this courtesy nod before moving on.

SF options for Team USA 2028 Olympic roster

Jayson Tatum (30)

The Boston Celtics fanbase made rooting for Team USA less enjoyable, but for all their whining about Tatum’s role, it will look more recognizable in 2028. This year’s roster had established scorers, drivers and defenders who were ahead of Tatum in the pecking order, but the 2028 squad will need guys who can get buckets, finish around the rim and defend on the other end. Assuming his jump shot isn’t still on hiatus by then (as it’s been since the start of the NBA playoffs), Tatum is a lock to make the roster and play a more prominent role. So Celtics fans, you have four years to get all that bellyaching out of your system. Even money whether you’ll be able to do so.

Kevin Durant (39)

Kevin Durant is the leading Olympic scorer in USA Basketball history on the men’s side and the women’s side. He’s also the men’s leading rebounder, and he has more gold medals than any other man who’s ever played Olympic basketball. It’s pretty simple: If Captain America wants to return and chase a fifth gold, he will. If he’s satisfied with having one of the greatest Olympic legacies of all time, he’ll happily give up a spot to another deserving player. But KD’s game should age nicely, and LeBron James just showed how effective players with that type of longevity can still be at age 39.

Mikal Bridges (31)

Is Mikal Bridges destined for stardom in New York? Probably not. But whether you believe he could be a true leading option or simply think he’s best-suited as a high-end, two-way role player, Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday just proved how important that kind of thing is on the Olympic stage. So even if Bridges doesn’t belong in the same tier as some of the other established stars we’re discussing, there’s something to be said about a guy who can thrive in a reduced, defensive-minded role, especially since he can knock down 3s, hit midrange jumpers and got some Team USA experience at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Jaylen Brown (31)

Brown had reason to feel slighted after not being chosen to fill Kawhi Leonard’s spot on the roster, but the conspiracy theory takes about Nike and public criticism of Grant Hill (which he tweeted in broad daylight) don’t really help his case for mending those bridges — nor does the undeniable fact that his shortcomings as a flawed jump shooter and decision-maker overlapped with Tatum’s. More than likely, he wouldn’t have played for the exact same reasons that Tatum was glued to the bench. That doesn’t necessarily rule him out for four years down the road, but it’s hard to see this being a good fit when Brown is 31.

Jalen Williams (27)

The rise of Jalen Williams won’t do Brown any favors either. J-Dub could contend for an All-Star spot in the loaded Western Conference as early as this season, and by the time 2028 rolls around, he’ll be smack-dab in the middle of his prime. That means he could easily fill a lesser role as a two-way stud who can guard wings and knock down 3s at a respectable clip, or he could just as easily evolve into one of Team USA’s leading options. Either way, his omission from this year’s Olympic pool will be long forgotten by 2028.

Scottie Barnes (26)

Barnes is another intriguing young option on the wing, but for all his All-NBA potential, his playing style isn’t currently conducive to playing off the ball, which he’d need to be able to do on this type of roster. He’s shot 30.1 percent, 28.1 percent and 34.1 percent from 3-point range in his first three NBA seasons, so he’ll have to prove he can spread the floor first too. Barnes has time to do so, but there are probably easier fits or more established options on the wing.

Brandon Miller (25)

This might feel like a premature inclusion for Miller, who just wrapped up his rookie year averaging 17.3 points on .440/.373/.827 shooting splits. But the 21-year-old was included on the Select Team to help Team USA fine-tune some things, and you never know how a first-year player will have evolved by the time he wraps up his fifth season in the pros. Being a high-scoring wing with size at 6-foot-7 makes it hard to definitively rule him out at this point.

PF options for Team USA 2028 Olympic roster

Zion Williamson (28)

Williamson was one of the surprise omissions from Team USA’s Olympic pool, but that maybe have been due to injury concerns. Either way, it feels like we’re so close to it being the year where Zion stays healthy and finally puts it all together. If we’re blessed enough to get a few years of that, and Williamson is actually healthy going into the 2028 offseason, then he feels like an overwhelmingly strong option. His health is the biggest “if,” but if he can stay on the court, having that type of downhill force and awe-inspiring rim finisher would be a big help.

Cooper Flagg (21)

By all accounts, the 17-year-old Cooper Flagg was the most impressive player on the USA Select Team. Much like Zion in 2019 or Victor Wembanyama in 2023, he’s a virtual lock to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. As ESPN’s Kevin Pelton pointed out, however, it’s rare for players under the age of 22 to earn a spot on an Olympic roster for Team USA: Since 2004, only Anthony Davis (2012) and Keldon Johnson (2021) have done it, and Johnson was a last-minute replacement. But Flagg looks like the real deal, and if the 6-foot-9 defensive phenom quickly proves himself as a legitimate NBA star in his first few years in the league, it’ll be hard to leave him out.

Paolo Banchero (25)

The Americans didn’t medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, so even bringing it up feels like a backhanded compliment. But at the very least, Paolo Banchero was able to get his feet wet on the international stage at a very young age, and being a plus-sized wing with scoring and playmaking capabilities doesn’t hurt. In his age-21 season, Banchero put up a 23-7-5 stat line, and while his 3-point shot leaves something to be desired, he’s a force once he enters the paint. Banchero can create for others, he gets to the foul line a ton, and he holds his own defensively, like he did for the Orlando Magic’s third-ranked defense. The U.S. could always use a little more size and skill at the 4, and the 6-foot-10 Banchero will be able to provide plenty of both as he enters his prime.

Evan Mobley (27)

Mobley wasn’t named to the Olympic pool, and the offensive leap many were hoping to see in his third NBA season never arrived. But Mobley is still one of the better defensive bigs in the league at only 23 years old. He can log minutes as a 4 or a 5, which would give Team USA more roster flexibility, especially when it comes to playing dual-big lineups. If Mobley’s 37.3 percent 3-point shooting this year holds up, he’ll be able to spread the floor on the shorter FIBA line too. Having a little more size, rebounding, shot-blocking and positional versatility in the frontcourt never hurts on this stage, even if Mobley has a long way to go in proving he belongs in this conversation.

Trey Murphy III (28)

Ask any New Orleans Pelicans fan, and they’ll tell you Trey Murphy III has star potential. He’ll need to at least approach that territory to have a shot, but even if he never becomes a certified star, there’s something to be said about a lanky, 6-foot-8 wing who can defend and knock down 3s at a 39.2 percent clip. Murphy has “soon as he crosses half-court” range, and once again, Team USA needs guys who are willing to embrace their role. Murphy is probably a long shot behind some of the bigger, more established names on our list, but having another plus-sized, 3-and-D wing who can play the 3 or the 4 isn’t a bad idea.

C options for Team USA 2028 Olympic roster

Joel Embiid (34)

Outside of two elimination round games, Embiid had a pretty rough showing at the Olympics. If he wants to give it another go in 2028, Team USA will probably let him run it back, especially since he’s an MVP-caliber player who chose to represent the U.S. over his native Cameroon and France. But Embiid has a pretty long injury history already, and by 2028, he’ll be 34 years old. A lot can happen between now and then, and he’d have to stay healthy and continue playing at a high level to secure his spot. From our view, it’s hard to see both those things happening.

Anthony Davis (35)

Much like Embiid, if Anthony Davis wants to run it back in 2028, Team USA will have a hard time turning him down. But also like Embiid, Davis has an extensive injury history to consider, and he’ll be in his mid-30s by the time the next Olympics roll around. Betting on him to stay healthy at that point seems risky, even if the Brow was exceptional off the bench in Paris. We can’t rule out the Lakers star entirely, especially since 2028 will be in Los Angeles, but there’s a remote possibility AD isn’t playing in LA — or at all — four years down the line. And even if he’s still active at that point, will he really be the same two-way force the Americans need in the middle?

Bam Adebayo (30/31)

If Embiid and/or Davis are out, Adebayo easily becomes one of the best candidates to replace them. Bam is nowhere near the offensive force that Embiid is, but defensively, he’s capable of defending the rim, handling himself on the perimeter and being part of dual-big lineups, which become more common on the international stage. Team USA looked a lot better in the Adebayo and AD minutes, and four years from now, having a guy who can anchor a defense as a 4 or a 5 will really come in handy.

Chet Holmgren (26)

The world got a glimpse of what Victor Wembanyama can do on the international stage, and France will be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future. Team USA’s best response — and only response, at this juncture — may be another lanky, versatile, 7-footer in Chet Holmgren. In his first healthy NBA season, the 22-year-old put up 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 53 percent overall and 37 percent from downtown. Having that kind of size, ball-handling, shooting, playmaking and rim protection is exceptionally rare. He’s the only logical attempt to answering the Wemby problem, and even outside of that, he should be one of the best defensive players in the league by the time 2028 hits.

Jaren Jackson Jr. (28)

Jackson’s penchant for foul trouble and lackluster rebounding numbers hold him back here, since both of those problems would be just as glaring on the Olympic stage. But we can’t rule him out yet either, since JJJ is already a one-time All-Star, one-time Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Defensive team selection at the age of 24. Four years from now, he’ll probably have added more defensive accolades to his resumé as one of the NBA’s best shot-blockers. Fine-tuning his 3-point shot to get those percentages north of 35 percent would really help his chances.

Walker Kessler (26/27)

The Walker Kessler hype fell off considerably from year one to year two, and if that trend continues, this nomination may look silly four years from now. But it’s also too early to give up on a 23-year-old with only two years of NBA experience, especially when he bats away shots at the rim like a human fly swatter. Kessler has averaged 2.3 blocks and 2.4 blocks per game since entering the league, he’s a decent rebounder, and the vast majority of his offense is efficient finishes at the rim. He’s probably not versatile enough or on a high enough trajectory to snag one of these spots, but there’s something to be said for rim-to-rim production and his potential for growth over the next 3-4 years.

Tentative final roster:

1. Tyrese Haliburton
2. Jalen Brunson
3. Devin Booker
4. Anthony Edwards
5. Jayson Tatum
6. Kevin Durant*
7. Jalen Williams
8. Zion Williamson
9. Cooper Flagg
10. Paolo Banchero
11. Bam Adebayo
12. Chet Holmgren

*If Kevin Durant doesn’t play in 2028, Mikal Bridges is the first runner-up, followed by Evan Mobley.