Report: Team USA Basketball Planning Pre-Olympic Bubble with Spain, Australia

The United States men's basketball team will create a pre-Olympics bubble in Las Vegas with Spain and Australia in an effort to train and play scrimmage games ahead of this summer's Tokyo Games, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

"On the surface, it makes a lot of sense," Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said. "We have to be flexible."

One of the reasons the plan is feasible is that Spain and Australia all are loaded with NBA players who will already be in the United States. Spain has five NBA players who have previously been on the national roster (Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Serge Ibaka, Juancho Hernangomez and Willy Hernangomez). Australia has 10, led by Ben Simmons and Joe Ingles.

Team USA is also trying to get FIBA, the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee to push back the date for countries to submit their rosters since the NBA season isn't set to conclude until three days before Team USA's first game.

The start to the NBA season this year was pushed back after last season's hiatus and autumn conclusion amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Colangelo and Team USA also want to see roster changes permitted during the Olympic tournament itself.

"These are not normal times. Rosters by a certain date doesn't make any sense," Colangelo said. "What we're seeking is flexibility to substitute players very late and to get the best players on the court. It doesn't just apply to us but for all the countries."

Granted, whether the Olympics actually occur amid the pandemic remains to be seen.

In January, IOC senior member Dick Pound told the Associated Press he "can't be certain" the Games will be held this year due to "the ongoing elephant in the room" of potential "surges in the virus." Japanese minister Taro Kono added that "anything is possible" regarding the Olympics and holding this year's Games "could go either way."

IOC president Thomas Bach has tried to downplay cancellation concerns, however.

"We have, at this moment, no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on the 23rd of July in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo," he told Kyodo News. "This is why there is no plan B, and this is why we are fully committed to make these games safe and successful."