Which young players could join Team USA’s 2028 Olympic roster? Cooper Flagg, Paolo Banchero among top choices

It’s been one year since Team USA men’s basketball captured the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. With the 2028 Olympics games coming to the United States and Los Angeles in three years, the pressure will be on as the Americans chase a sixth consecutive gold medal.

Chances are though, they’ll have to do it without the elder generation that carried them in Paris. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry seem unlikely to suit up for Team USA in L.A., at least as of now.

Ideally, players like Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Bam Adebayo will all return and step to the forefront for USA Basketball, but who could theoretically take the place of those veteran superstars?

In other words, are there any youngsters would could potentially make their Olympic debut in 2028 and then grow into pillars of the program as they age in the NBA.

You can bet that’s something that Grant Hill is asking himself right now. Fortunately, we have some suggestions. Here are five players, currently 23 years old or younger, who could be multi-time Olympians and keep the golden tradition rolling for USA Basketball.

Age in 2028: 25

This one should seem obvious. Banchero is still just 22 years old and he’s already established himself as one of the best forwards in the league and a future face of American basketball. His blend of power, athleticism, and self-creation seems to grow with each passing year. The extension of his skill-set also makes him a good fit for FIBA style competition. He can operate as the mismatch, playmaking forward we see in the NBA, but you can also put him at the five and play offensively dynamic smallball line-ups that would allow him to punish opposing centers and create maximum spacing. The fact that he’s been in the USA Basketball system since 2018 when he was just 15 years old should only help.

Age in 2028: 21

This is another one that seems clear. Flagg’s versatility is his calling card. In fact, for all the hype that went into his freshman season at Duke, the one area where he showed the most growth was in his playmaking. That is to say we were more confident about his defense, passing, and overall versatility then we necessarily were his overall ability to go get a bucket on demand. While that self-creation is now accelerating at a rapid rate, what makes Flagg such an ideal mainstay for the next generation of USA Basketball is that he can impact the game without the ball in his hands. He’s naturally unselfish and a phenomenal weakside defender when he’s allowed to roam. Can you image what it would look like if he were allowed to knock balls off the rim defensively to himself and then start the break? We might not have to, as that’s something that should be on full display in L.A.

Age in 2028: 26

It’s possible that Thompson is the best defensive player in the world in the not-so-distant future. If you take conventional rim protectors out of that discussion, it’s even more possible. When that player is also in the top 1% of athletes in the NBA, you want him on the Olympic team, even if he can’t shoot. It’s one thing to be a versatile on-ball defender, it’s another to legitimately be able to defend all five positions on the floor. He and Flagg could be the basis of a defensive juggernaut, even if that happens to be with the second unit in 2028. Offensively, Team USA would have to surround Thompson with four shooters, but the coaching staff could utilize him as a ball-screener and set him up to play downhill off short-rolls surrounded by some of the best playmakers, shot-makers, and lob threats in the world. Additionally, he and Flagg are almost position-less, and so they provide extreme two-way versatility from both a line-up and schematic perspective.

Age in 2028: 26

You know who Thompson would be an ideal fit alongside? A stretch-big who could also protect the rim at an elite level. Holmgren played that role for the NBA champion Thunder when he was just 22 years old this season, and he’ll be able to do it in FIBA play after the benefit of three more years of building up his body. Holmgren would also be a good fit from two other perspectives. First, he’s hyper-competitive. Second, he prioritizes winning above all else. We’ve seen other players struggle to acclimate to a different type of role. Holmgren won’t need to do that. The bottom line is that while his game and approach are tailor-made for the modern NBA, they might even fit FIBA basketball better.

5. Guard TBD

Jrue Holiday and Derrick White showed the importance of having elite role players in the backcourt. Players that were defensive standouts, content to play a supportive role offensively, and could provide the necessary floor-spacing with their shooting. Positional size didn’t hurt either. Trying to find the next iteration of that archetype within the American system is not exactly easy when you’re limiting yourself to 23-years and younger. So, we’re calling it To Be Determined in the next three years and instead creating a watch list. Jalen Suggs may be the leading candidate, but he’s going to need to shoot it like he did in 2023-24, and not 2024-25.

If Stephon Castle of the Spurs becomes a reliable spot-up shooter, he’s got a case. If VJ Edgecombe does the same, and turns defensive potential into production, so does he. Kon Knueppel would be perfect offensively, but the defense would need to exceed everyone’s expectations. Cason Wallace may be in the mix a couple years down the road as well.