Picture this: It’s a warm July night in Los Angeles in the year 2028. The Intuit Dome in Inglewood is hosting the gold medal game for the men’s basketball final. The closing ceremony is scheduled for the following day.
The sellout crowd is a mosaic of red, white and blue. The arena’s famous Wall section is raucous and rowdy, ready to intimidate Team USA’s opponent. Celebrities are sitting courtside in a who’s who of A-list glitz.
Now, ask yourself, who is running out of the tunnel and taking the court for the United States of America?
That’s the unenviable task thatTeam USA managing director Grant Hillwill have to decide. We already know who will be the head coach; Miami Heat coachErik Spoelstra will take overfor Steve Kerr. So, when the reigning Olympic champions reload for 2028, it will not only be the best basketball players in the United States, it will also be the players that can handle the pressure of winning gold on home turf.
Here’s our best guess more than two years out on how the Olympic men’s basketball roster will shake out.
These are the likely pillars of the team. Barring catastrophic injury or dramatic regression, book their spot now:
Edwards will be 26 years old and fully entering his prime. He was the up-and-comer in Paris in 2024, learning the ropes from the likes ofLeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. Now, he’s primed to take over as the leader of a team that will be stacked, but facing tougher competition globally.
Haliburton, if healthy, should also be on the team. He was on the roster for the 2024 team, but didn’t play “When you ain’t do nun on the group project and still get an A,” he famously tweeted after winning the gold medal. Ifhis 2025 NBA Playoff runwith the Indiana Pacers was any indication, Haliburton is a playmaker that Team USA will need in 2028. He’s currently recovering from an Achilles tear, but if he returns to his full potential, he will definitely be on the squad.
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Tatum is also recovering from an Achilles tear and will most certainly be on the team. Flagg feels like the face of the next generation, and Adebayo is the Miami Heat mainstay that Spoelstra will make sure is on his team.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
