No LeBron, Steph or KD?! Predicting the 2028 Olympic men's basketball roster (2024)

When Team USA men's basketball next takes the court in the Olympics on home soil during the 2028 Los Angeles Games, the roster might have a very different look.

As accomplished as the star-studded group that won 98-87 over France in Paris was, it was also the oldest USA roster for any major international competition since FIBA allowed NBA players to participate beginning with the 1992 Barcelona Olympics -- far older than the United States Dream Team that competed that year.

At 35, Larry Bird was the oldest member of the 1992 Olympic team. Three players on this year's USA roster were older: MVPs LeBron James (39), Stephen Curry (36) and Kevin Durant (35, but turning 36 in September). Although we can't rule any of the U.S. big three out for 2028, it's unclear now whether they'll still be playing in the NBA, let alone the Olympics.

With the chance to play for home fans, odds are USA Basketball will have its pick of the stars who are at the top of their games in 2028. Keeping that in mind, here's one possible version of who might be part of the next Team USA Olympic roster.

Who might not be back

Beyond the three oldest players on the U.S. roster, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White seem unlikely to reprise their roles as defensive-minded guards. Holiday will be 38 by the time LA28 opens on July 14, while White will be 34 and was already a last-minute addition to the roster in his late prime. (From now on, all listed ages will be as of July 14, 2028.)

The two borderline cases are centers Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid -- Davis will be 35 in 2028 and Embiid 34. Their tricky injury histories makes it tough to predict that either will be healthy when the 2028 Olympics rolls around but if they're available, I think they'll make the roster given their history with USA Basketball.

That leaves five spots to fill. At least one of the five players I've left off will likely be part of Team USA in 2028, but I wouldn't give any of them better than 50-50 odds to be there.

The team

Bam Adebayo
Forward/center
Age: 30

A two-time Olympian, Adebayo has carved out a niche with Team USA as a versatile defender capable of playing either power forward or center. The FIBA 3-point line is also more comfortable for Adebayo, allowing him to play alongside a more traditional big like Davis or even perhaps Embiid. Adebayo will be 30 to start the next Olympics before turning 31 during group play.

Paolo Banchero
Forward
Age: 25

After initially committing to the Italy national team, Banchero made his senior national team debut last year before age 21, serving as Team USA's backup center in the FIBA Basketball World Cup and averaging 12.3 points per game. By 2028, Banchero could be one of the NBA's most powerful offensive forces with his combination of size and skill. Ticket him for a role at power forward, where the U.S. typically is lacking in size.

Devin Booker
Guard
Age: 31

A two-time Olympian, Booker should still be in his late prime when 2028 rolls around. Booker's ability to space the floor and step into a larger defensive role than he plays in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns has made him a strong complement to Team USA's stars and should give him an excellent chance at a third appearance.

Jalen Brunson
Guard
Age: 31

Given how little Tyrese Haliburton played at point guard during the Olympics, it's fair to wonder whether the U.S. would have been better off bringing Brunson instead. Arguably the best American player not in Paris, Brunson will be over 30 in 2028, but his skill-based game should age well. Assuming Curry doesn't return, Brunson has a real shot at starting for the USA next time.

Anthony Davis
Center
Age: 35

When Davis was the 12th man on the 2012 USA roster before making his NBA debut, the possibility of playing in four or five Olympics seemed realistic. Instead, Davis went two Olympic cycles before returning to the roster in Paris. Still, he's got a chance at a third appearance in front of what might be home fans in Los Angeles. Davis is the only current member of the Lakers or Clippers on my projected roster.

Anthony Edwards
Guard
Age: 26

Without Curry, Durant and James, my 2028 roster has only one NBA MVP (Embiid) as of now. Consider Edwards the best chance of changing that over the next four seasons. Having turned 23 during the Paris Games, Edwards still has plenty of development ahead of him. And he's already been one of the USA's top scorers off the bench in these games. By 2028, when he's in his prime, Edwards is likely to be the face of the team.

Joel Embiid
Center
Age: 34

Having chosen the USA over the possibility of representing either his native Cameroon or rival France, Embiid presumably has a good chance of making the roster as long as he's healthy and performing at a high level. Having gotten his first taste of international basketball at the highest level this summer, Embiid may be better prepared for what to expect in 2028.

Tyrese Haliburton
Guard
Age: 28

To some degree, I think Haliburton going from playing a key role off the bench in the USA's early exhibitions (he had six assists and four steals in the opening game against Canada) to multiple DNP-CDs during the Olympics was an overcorrection. Haliburton's shooting and playmaking are ideally suited to running the point internationally. At the same time, here's hoping that falling out of the U.S. rotation helps Haliburton take strides defensively, which would put him in consideration to start in 2028.

Chet Holmgren
Center
Age: 26

Holmgren is the first of three players on my 2028 roster who have yet to be part of the U.S. senior national team. Holmgren does have plenty of USA Basketball experience at the youth level, including squaring off against Victor Wembanyama in the 2021 U19 final. The USA will surely need to plan for defending Wembanyama in 2028, and who better than the similar Holmgren? Expect the two centers, who finished 1-2 in Rookie of the Year voting, to be the NBA's top two defenders by 2028.

Tyrese Maxey
Guard
Age: 27

Maxey was inexplicably left off the USA Basketball pool, which included every other All-Star eligible to represent the USA save Julius Randle of the New York Knicks. Let's hope the committee watches a few Philadelphia 76ers games between now and 2028. By then, Maxey will be in his prime and has a chance to be one of the league's best guards. He could be a leader of the USA team for the 2027 Basketball World Cup.

Jayson Tatum
Forward
Age: 30

Whether you agree with Tatum ending up out of the USA rotation for much of the Olympics or not, it's clear the path to playing time will be clearer in 2028 when he's less likely to be behind a pair of MVPs in James and Durant. Heading into what would be his third Olympics, Tatum would be a veteran leader and a key piece at either forward spot.

Jalen Williams
Forward/guard
Age: 27

Consider this the toughest spot to pick on the USA roster. There will surely be no shortage of star wings who develop, but I'd give Williams the best chance to fit into a reserve role on the Olympic team by virtue of his 3-point capability (43% last season, albeit on just 3.4 attempts per game) and defensive versatility. Williams, who emerged as the No. 2 scorer on the West's top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder alongside Holmgren and Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will be in his prime in 2028.

Other contenders

Scottie Barnes (26): My toughest cut, Barnes has an excellent chance of being an All-NBA player by 2028, when he's in his prime. He might not fit as easily in an off-ball role, however, particularly with Banchero bringing a similar skill set and more international experience.

Jaylen Brown (31): Brown's public disappointment over not being selected for the USA's Olympic roster doesn't likely help his chances next time, particularly when he'll be on the other side of 30.

Cade Cunningham (26): If Cunningham makes good on his skill set as a playmaker with size, he's got a real chance to be part of the roster.

Cooper Flagg (21): Flagg's stock for the 2025 draft, already sky-high, rose when he held his own against the Olympic team as part of the USA Select team during practices in Las Vegas last month. But seniority counts here. Just two players have made a USA Olympic roster before age 22 since 2004: Davis in 2012 and Keldon Johnson as a last-minute replacement in 2021. The odds are better for Flagg making his Olympic debut in 2032.

De'Aaron Fox (30): Fox was part of the pool this time around, but might experience some aging by 2028.

Brandon Miller (25): Of the four 2023 first-round picks who joined the Select Team this summer (Jaime Jacquez Jr., Brandin Podziemski and Amen Thompson), I'd give Miller the best chance of making the roster in 2028 as a high-scoring wing with size.

Donovan Mitchell (31): Mitchell feels like he might have missed his Olympic window after playing in the 2019 Basketball World Cup, though it's certainly possible he'll still be playing at an All-NBA level by 2028.

Evan Mobley (27): I included Mobley in my hypothetical Olympic roster last summer as a possible "center of the future." Holmgren seems to be ahead in that race right now, with Derrick Lively II another possibility.

Ja Morant (28): Before Morant can be considered for the USA roster, he needs to right his NBA career after a season lost to suspension and injury.

Trey Murphy III (28): A member of the USA Select Team, Murphy would bring size and shooting along the lines of the role Cam Johnson played during the 2023 World Cup.

Jalen Suggs (27): If you're looking for the next Holiday or White, a role that isn't filled on my roster, Suggs -- another Select Team member -- is the best bet. First, he'll have to show that last season's jump to 40% on 3s was legit.

Zion Williamson (28): Along with Maxey, Williamson was the other American younger than age 30 who received All-NBA votes this season but wasn't in the USA's player pool. It's hard to project where Williamson will be physically in four years, but if healthy he's a legit Olympic contender.