Team USA basketball managing director Grant Hill was already thinking about the 2028 Olympics before his squad even won the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
The 2024 team Hill assembled was one of the strongest ever sent to the Olympic Games. With LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant leading the way, it’s no surprise the men’s team won its fifth consecutive gold medal.
But given the collective age of the 2024 roster’s top players, there’s a good chance that a handful of them won’t be back for 2028.
That’s why Hill was reportedly eyeing 21-year-old Paolo Banchero as a potential candidate for this year’s Olympics. According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, Banchero was in “serious consideration” for the Paris Games and is a player Hill “wants to feature in Olympiads to come.”
Team USA initially had Kawhi Leonard as its 12th man. But health issues led the team to give Boston Celtics guard Derrick White a call to take Leonard’s place. Banchero was likely considered for that same final spot.
Banchero could have easily filled in for White, who played sparingly throughout the Olympic tournament. However, Team USA may have wanted a role player like White rather than another ball-dominant scorer in Banchero. After all, even Banchero’s fellow Duke alumnus Jayson Tatum got a couple of DNPs in Paris.
There’s expected to be a lot of turnover on Team USA once the 2028 Olympic Games arrive in Los Angeles. Even head coach Steve Kerr is expected to step down, with his successor likely to come from his current staff.
