Houston Rockets forward and the most decorated male basketball player in Olympic history, Kevin Durant, grabbed headlines earlier this week when he stated he plans to play in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The four-time gold medalist recently spoke to ESPN, shutting down talk of no longer participating.
“Hell yeah, I want to play,” Durant said. “I would love to, but I’ve got to stay on top of my game. I’m not expecting, I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making
the decisions, want to put me on the team. I don’t want — not just for seniority. I want to still prove I can help the team win.”
Breaking down those thoughts and the future of Team USA basketball came up on a recent episode of “Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective” podcast, and with it mention of Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg and his possible place on that 2028 roster.
BRIAN WINDHORST: Cooper Flagg could make ‘28.
VINCENT GOODWILL: Oh, I definitely think he’s going to be on ‘28.
WINDHORST: Because you’ve got to have defense.
ANTHONY SLATER: Versatile defenders, yea. Also, just name recognition. And also in the past he was on the Select team. That was his coming out party.
GOODWILL: That was when he opened eyes.
WINDHORST: If you’re a young guy and you want to make sure you get on the team…playing in Qatar will be a factor.
That conversation sparked from mapping out what Team USA basketball looks like leading up to the summer games. The FIBA World Cup takes place in Qatar in late August and early September of 2027. The tournament is used as a qualifier for national teams to make it to the Olympics. This time around Team USA won’t be required to qualify as an acting host. Windhorst suggests this could be a massive proving ground for young players like Flagg to make a massive statement to Grant Hill, the team’s managing director, and head coach Erik Spoelstra who takes over from Steve Kerr.
Flagg already has history with Team USA, as mentioned in the podcast conversation. He was invited the summer of 2024, prior to his freshman season at Duke University, to play for the Junior National Select Team — a group of pros invited to train and scrimmage with the National team to prepare them for the Olympics. And as the only non-pro he turned heads as a 17 year old in scrimmages.
Beyond his time on the Select team, Flagg participated with the 2024 USA Men’s Nike Pro Hoop Summit team. And in 2022, at 15 years old he played for the US Men’s U17 National Team, winning gold at the FIBA U17 World Cup. In his seven FIBA games he averaged 9.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1,9 assists, 2.4 steals, and 2.9 blocks per game.
By 2028 he will be coming off his third NBA season. And given his trajectory, Flagg has a path to make the national team roster, even at 21 years old. The 2027 World Cup, as Windhorst suggests, may be the finishing touch to proving his place. There will be plenty of competition for spots, especially if players like Durant continue to push for a place on the team. But Flagg is clearly part of the future legacy of the team. And his versatility as a defender makes him a natural fit off the bench, even in a minor role. What better place to debut the team’s next generation than in Los Angeles.
