Team USA will look a lot different when the 2028 Los Angeles Games come around, and Carmelo Anthony is already making a pitch for one of the top young NBA stars to earn a spot on the national team.
According to the three-time Olympic gold medalist, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant could be an intriguing option for Team USA, assuming he is 100 percent fit.
“I would love to see Ja getting another opportunity,” Anthony said. “I don’t think they are sleeping on him; it’s what have you done more me lately, and the last thing you done for me was some wild s**t. You still got to come out of that. People haven’t seen you like come up out of that (controversies + injury) yet. So, by four years, I’m sure he’ll be up out of that.”
Ja Morant aims to bounce back as he is coming off a shortened 2023-24 campaign where only appeared in nine games due to suspension and injury, averaging 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game on 47.1 percent shooting from the field.
The Memphis Grizzlies guard is one of the top young stars in the NBA. However, it might be hard for him to earn a spot on the national team because Team USA is stacked.
A look at Team USA’s potential 2028 roster
Shaun Powell of NBA.com recently released his mock roster of Team USA for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. He had most guys from the 2024 team on the list and added some new yet familiar faces.
Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White will be older when they return to the national team in 2028. Jaren Jackson Jr., Chet Holmgren, De’Aaron Fox, Cade Cunningham, Jaylen Brown, Mikal Bridges, and Paolo Banchero might be the newcomers to join the squad.
Interestingly, Tyrese Haliburton was not on Powell’s list, but many believe he’ll have a bigger role come 2028 after becoming essentially the 12th man in Paris due to a minor leg injury.
