Projecting Team USA men's basketball roster for 2028 Games

The 2024 Team USA men's basketball team was built to let the best NBA players of the past decade — LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry — try to avenge the Americans' fourth-place finish in last summer's FIBA World Cup. 

These legends are still top-10 players, but the Paris Games will almost certainly be their Olympic swan song.

In fact, with seven of Team USA's 12 players over 30, one can expect a youth movement in the U.S. program as it prepares its invite list for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. One can also expect a stylistic change: a reversion to "small ball" to take advantage of the strengths of the country’s best young talent.

So, without further ado, here’s your projected 2028 Team USA roster:

(The number inside the parentheses is that player's age in the summer of 2028.)

Returners from 2024 team: Anthony Edwards (26), Jayson Tatum (30), Tyrese Haliburton (28), Devin Booker (31), Bam Adebayo (31)

These are the five players under 30 on this year’s team, and we expect all five will want to play again in 2028. This could even be the starting five with high-level positional passers in Haliburton and Adebayo surrounded by three elite offensive players. Edwards will be the team’s alpha dog and leader and Tatum will be its most important two-way player. 

Superstar additions: Ja Morant (28), Zion Williamson (28), Paolo Banchero (25), Chet Holmgren (26)

How cool would it be if Morant and Williamson, former AAU teammates, got their acts together over the next four years and teamed for a shot at Olympic gold? They would give Team USA one-of-a-kind athletes at point guard and point forward. 

Morant’s inclusion would mean other qualified guard candidates — Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey — get bumped. Williamson's selection would take other do-it-all players — Scottie Barnes and Cade Cunningham — out of the equation, too. 

Jaylen Brown, another quality candidate, may have severed ties with Team USA after his comments following his Boston Celtics teammate Derrick White's inclusion this summer.

Banchero, who already has Team USA experience in last summer’s World Cup, should be a Team USA centerpiece for the next few Olympics. And Holmgren — America’s foil to Frenchman Victor Wembanyama — gets the edge over Evan Mobley, Dereck Lively II and other promising, young big men. 

Star role players: Jalen Williams (27), Desmond Bane (30)

Remember, we are building a basketball team here, not projecting the 12 best American players come 2028, so the team will need players willing to do the little things on defense and be connectors on offense. 

Williams could be flirting with All-NBA teams by 2028, but he has played the star role player position with the Oklahoma City Thunder in his first two NBA seasons, making him a perfect fit on this team.

This team is a little short of perimeter defense and shooting so many candidates were considered here including Jalen Suggs, Trey Murphy, Brandon Miller, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Jaden McDaniels and Stephon Castle.

But let's go with a no-nonsense veteran and underrated stud in the Memphis Grizzlies’ Bane. He's an elite three-point shooter and a bulldog defender who knows how to play alongside Morant. 

Wild card: Cooper Flagg (21)

There is some serious American talent in the pipeline — Flagg and AJ Dybantsa have some Zion Williamson-level hype while Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper and Cameron Boozer are on their heels. At least one of them will likely be on the 2028 Team USA roster. 

Flagg, who lit it up as a 17-year-old in the Select Team scrimmages, is the safest bet.

Final roster: 

Guards: Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton

Wings: Jayson Tatum, Jalen Williams, Desmond Bane

Bigs: Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, Bam Adebayo, Chet Holmgren, Cooper Flagg