The United States will host the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028, and ESPN national NBA writer Zach Kram has already sketched the dozen players he believes are most likely to wear red, white and blue on the men’s basketball court.
The backdrop
Team USA has captured gold in the past five Olympics, yet the program is entering a transition. The three leading scorers from Paris 2024—Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant—are expected to be absent or uncertain for 2028 because of age or stated intentions. Curry and James have said they do not plan to play again, while Durant, who will turn 40 shortly before the Los Angeles Games, told ESPN he wants to keep the option open if his performance level remains high.
Age drives most decisions
The 2024 squad averaged 30.1 years, the oldest U.S. team since NBA players joined the Olympics in 1992. By contrast, Kram projects a younger mix in 2028, noting that only six Americans 21 or younger have ever appeared in Olympic play. Duke standout Cooper Flagg, who will be 21 in 2028, is predicted to become the seventh.
Veterans such as Kawhi Leonard (37 in 2028) and Damian Lillard (37) fall outside Kram’s forecast, as do previous Olympians Joel Embiid (34) and Anthony Davis (35) unless injuries and form swing back in their favor.
Position-by-position outlook
Guards
Anthony Edwards (26) and Tyrese Haliburton (28) headline the backcourt. Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson remain in the mix, but Cade Cunningham (26) and rookie sharpshooter Kon Knueppel (22) receive the projected nods because of size, playmaking and three-point accuracy.
Wings
Jayson Tatum (30) and Flagg are penciled in as starters, with versatile scorers and defenders Jalen Williams (27), Amen Thompson (25) and Scottie Barnes (26) rounding out the perimeter rotation.
Bigs
Bam Adebayo (30) is the lone carryover from Paris in the frontcourt. Chet Holmgren (26) is tapped as the probable starting center thanks to rim protection and floor-spacing, while 24-year-old Jalen Duren is selected for physicality and rebounding against towering international opponents. Evan Mobley is listed as the first alternate should injuries arise.
Projected 12-man roster
• Cooper Flagg (21)
• Kon Knueppel (22)
• Jalen Duren (24)
• Amen Thompson (25)
• Scottie Barnes (26)
• Cade Cunningham (26)
• Anthony Edwards (26)
• Chet Holmgren (26)
• Jalen Williams (27)
• Tyrese Haliburton (28)
• Bam Adebayo (30)
• Jayson Tatum (30)
Booker is labeled the top perimeter replacement, while Mobley holds the same status among big men. Kram emphasizes that injuries, player development and late-career surges could alter the list before the final roster is chosen closer to 2028.
Source: ESPN
