Why Trae Young won't be on Team USA

 "I definitely want to," the Hawks All-Star guard said when asked by Gilbert Arenas if he wanted to play at the Olympics. "It's up to them if they want me to."

Young isn't playing for Team USA for the upcoming FIBA World Cup, a tournament that generally has an inferior basketball roster than in Olympic years. It's only gotten worse since FIBA moved the games to the year before the Olympics, rather than two years after, since stars are less likely to play two straight summers of international ball.

That's one reason Arenas called it a "sorry-ass roster" with players who "probably don't even start on their own teams."

The non-starters Arenas is referring to are likely forwards Bobby Portis and Josh Hart, who clearly are bringing different skill sets to the court than Young. It's not clear that Young wanted to play in the FIBA World Cup, but it also doesn't sound like he was asked.

What's holding him back? First, it's that smaller guards like Young don't fare as well in the rougher world of FIBA basketball, where it's harder to draw fouls. Six-foot, 184-pound Kemba Walker struggled in 2019 when Team US finished seventh in the World Cup (though they went 6-2 overall). Damian Lillard (6-foot-2) had trouble with the defensive pressure at the 2021 Olympics, ultimately taking a backseat. He took only 25 shots in the three single-elimination games leading up to the gold medal game.

And while Lillard and Walker are defensive aces, Young has the worst defensive rating of any active NBA player.

Young told ESPN's Malika Andrews he was "kind of hurt" when he wasn't on the preliminary list of 44 finalists for the then-2020 Olympics roster. But he hurt his chances by the way he left the Team USA minicamp in 2019. Young departed early with a case of pink eye, but only after he learned Derrick White and De'Aaron Fox had made the senior team ahead of him.

Young was clearly disappointed - and his eye was probably gross - but that's not exactly the team spirit that the American team is going for. While Young told Arenas he was willing to sacrifice his game - "I would love to play with guys & show off my passing…not have to go out & score a lot" - he hasn't displayed the willingness to sacrifice his pride.

And that's the problem. While Young averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists, that's a sign of his ball-dominant approach that generally doesn't work in the Olympics. Team USA might want to use him as a spot-up shooter, but he only made 33.5 percent of his three-pointers last year. Sure, Young says he'll play a supporting role, but the last time Team USA asked him to be patient, he quit. Officials have long memories.

The final complicating factor is a two-time MVP. If Stephen Curry really does want to play for head coach Steve Kerr in the Paris Olympics, as he's hinted before, he's a bigger, better and more selfless version of what Young brings. And he's never missed a game because of pink eye.