DHJ Quick Take: Cooper Flagg Projected as Lock for 2028 Olympic Team
NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin projects Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg as a lock to make the 2028 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball roster, pairing the reigning Rookie of the Year with five other established stars in his early roster forecast.
- Who’s in? Helin lists Flagg alongside Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, Cade Cunningham and Bam Adebayo as the six roster locks.
- What’s the case for Flagg? A former Team USA member told Helin he expects Flagg to start, backing up the 19-year-old’s inclusion after a rookie season that saw him average 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 46.8% shooting.
- Who’s on the bubble? Devin Booker, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Williams, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant and Walker Kessler are bubble candidates, with Kon Knueppel, Donovan Clingan, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer listed as wild cards.
- What’s next? The 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are still roughly two years out, with USA Basketball’s official roster decisions yet to come.
DALLAS — With just under two years until the opening ceremonies of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics officially kick off, NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin considers Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg a lock to make USA Basketball’s roster.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has the sports world buzzing about international competition, leaving basketball fans restless to watch hoops on a global stage. With the next FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup coming in 2027 and the Los Angeles Olympics a year later, fans are already thinking about the roster that the United States might field once it’s time to tip off.
Cooper Flagg And The ‘Locks’
NBC Sports took the liberty of predicting that roster and Mavericks fans will be happy to know that Flagg was included. He was among Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, Cade Cunningham and Bam Adebayo, all labeled as locks to make the team.
At least one former Team USA member agrees with Helin about Flagg.
“When I posed a roster question to one former Team USA member, he said, ‘Cooper Flagg starts’ before I finished the sentence,” Helin’s article reads. “He’s probably right.”
Just 19 years old, Flagg is coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign that saw him average 21 points on 46.8% field-goal shooting, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Needless to say, expectations remain high for the Duke product going forward.
The Other Candidates
Outside of the “locks”, Helin predicts that Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Johnson, Evan Mobley, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Duren will make the team.
Devin Booker, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Williams, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant and Walker Kessler were all noted as being “on the bubble”. Young players like Kon Knueppel, Donovan Clingan, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer were also included as “wild cards”.
It might come as a shock that Durant was listed outside of the bubble, given his lengthy history with Team USA, which has seen him win four Olympic gold medals and become the team’s all-time leading scorer.
That said, Helin erred on the side of caution regarding aging superstars, also leaving LeBron James and Stephen Curry off his final roster. If one of Durant, James or Curry wanted to play come 2028, though, Team USA would be hard-pressed to deny any a spot on the roster.
More Mavericks Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- Miami Heat Have ‘Strong Interest’ In Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson
- Dallas Mavericks Officially Sign Tarik Biberović After Six-Team Trade
- ‘He Plays So Hard On Both Ends’: Ryan Nembhard Details Morez Johnson Jr.’s Standout Two-Way Impact
- ‘We’re Excited About Kyrie’: Dusty May Likens Kyrie Irving Workout To Watching Picasso Paint
- Rick Welts Explains Why Dallas Mavericks Wanted Chase ‘And Nobody Else’ For Jersey Patch
- Dallas Mavericks, JPMorgan Chase Announce Multi-Year Jersey Patch Partnership
