NBA Rumors Link Cooper Flagg, Chet Holmgren, More to Team USA Roster for 2028 LA Olympics

USA Basketball could already be considering whether Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg will be ready to make his Olympic debut in 2028.

ESPN's Vincent Goodwill named Flagg as a player who could get consideration for the Team USA roster ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

A source Goodwill described as "connected with USA Basketball" told ESPN about Flagg: "What I like about him, he really competes and plays hard. He's good at just about everything."

According to Goodwill, sources also named the Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein as players who "are intriguing from a front-line perspective" for Team USA.

Goodwill also wrote that Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel "has opened eyes with his shooting" and could be considered, particularly if Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is not playing in 2028.

The Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren "impressed" while participating in training camp ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, per Goodwill.

Goodwill also described the Thunder's Jalen Williams and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Evan Mobley as players who "should be in the mix."

USA Basketball got a first look at some potential first-time Olympians for 2028 during the ramp-up to the 2024 tournament, when the program selected 12 players including Flagg, Cunningham and Duren to scrimmage against the USA Basketball Men's National Team.

Flagg, who had yet to enter his freshman college season at the time, impressed multiple Team USA stars including Anthony Davis during the scrimmage.

The gold-medal winning team from the 2024 Paris Olympics was the oldest in USA Basketball history and featured a record seven players with past Olympic experience, per ESPN's Zach Kram.

Some of those stars will be in their 40s by 2028, including Curry (40) and the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (43).

Their potential departure from the roster could open up spots for players like Flagg and create more time for players who took on relatively small roles in the 2028 Olympics, including the Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton and Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum.

The 2028 Summer Olympics are set to begin July 14, 2028 in Los Angeles.