USA Basketball has formally announced a preliminary group of 44 players who are candidates to be part of the program’s roster for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
The final roster will only consist of 12 players, so most of these finalists won’t actually play for Team USA at the Olympics. Some will likely withdraw from consideration, while others simply won’t make the final cut. However, these players have all expressed interest in being involved in the process.
“This is the first step in USA Basketball identifying the 12 players who will represent the United States as members of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team in Tokyo,” said USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo.
“… Over the course of the remainder of the NBA season we’ll continue to monitor all of the athletes. Selecting the 12-man USA roster will obviously be an extremely challenging and difficult process, and we will again attempt to select the very best team possible to represent our country and who we hope will be successful in our difficult mission of repeating as Olympic champions for a fourth consecutive Olympics.”
Although the U.S. men’s team has won three consecutive Olympic gold medals, the program had a disappointing showing at last year’s World Cup, finishing in seventh place. Team USA will be looking for a bounce-back performance in Tokyo this summer, with many players from that World Cup squad among the 44 finalists announced today.
Here’s the full list of players who are candidates to play for Team USA at the 2020 Olympics:
- Bam Adebayo (Heat)
- LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs)
- Harrison Barnes (Kings)
- Bradley Beal (Wizards)
- Devin Booker (Suns)
- Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers)
- Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
- Jimmy Butler (Heat)
- Mike Conley (Jazz)
- Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Anthony Davis (Lakers)
- DeMar DeRozan (Spurs)
- Andre Drummond (Cavaliers)
- Kevin Durant (Nets)
- Paul George (Clippers)
- Draymond Green (Warriors)
- James Harden (Rockets)
- Montrezl Harrell (Clippers)
- Joe Harris (Nets)
- Tobias Harris (76ers)
- Gordon Hayward (Celtics)
- Dwight Howard (Lakers)
- Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
- Kyrie Irving (Nets)
- LeBron James (Lakers)
- Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
- Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
- Damian Lillard (Blazers)
- Brook Lopez (Bucks)
- Kevin Love (Cavaliers)
- Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
- JaVale McGee (Lakers)
- Khris Middleton (Bucks)
- Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
- Victor Oladipo (Pacers)
- Chris Paul (Thunder)
- Mason Plumlee (Nuggets)
- Marcus Smart (Celtics)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Klay Thompson (Warriors)
- Myles Turner (Pacers)
- Kemba Walker (Celtics)
- Russell Westbrook (Rockets)
- Derrick White (Spurs)
be nice to welcome steph and klay back to the world of basketball via the olympics
Steph klay kd probably all sit out form injuries… Kawhi possible to sit too… hopefully at least all start levels players show up compared to what they sent out for qualifying
anybody think derrick white will make the cut? lawlz
World Cup player, if it matters
Beal
Butler
Curry
AD
Durant
Draymond
Harden
Kyrie
Lebron
Kawhi
Russ
Kemba
You’d be lucky if half of those guys decide to play for the team.
Be nice to reward the players who didn’t thumb their noses at the world championships last year! Wouldn’t be the best team possible, but a deserving team.
So hoping Lebron makes it.
who?
Fred Lebrun
This is the last opportunity for LeBron to play in the Olympics.
GUARDS
Kyrie
Lillard
Westbrook
Harden
Booker
Beal
FORWARDS
Butler
Kawhi
LBJ
AD
CENTERS
Bam
Drummond
Aaron Gordon?
You are joking right? I’m a Magic fan and Its Vucevic that would deserve a spot over Gordon
I guarantee you Vucevic will 100% not be on the United States Olympic team this year.
Dude. He’s a Montenegrin. He’s not gonna be on the US Olympic team.
1. Curry. Lillard. Kemba
2. Butler. Booker
3. LBJ. George. Tatum
4. AD. Aldridge.
5. Adebayo. Turner
Kawhi Klay KD all to sit out because of injury but I think Curry will return from his hand injury.
Think they will have 1 kinda shock player I’ve chosen Aldridge. He can play 4 and 5 and brings loads of experience
They also usually choose players that have played in the past Turner over other guys like Drummond.
No Coleangelo should be involved with anything basketball.
Tatum makes it for sure.
Tatum ahead of LeBron, Kawhi, Paul George, Butler, and AD?
How can Trae Young not be in this list?
Why is Towns not on this list? He and Griffin are probably the best American players not on here, but I get why he’s missing with the injuries.
Some other names I’m surprised are snubbed: Trae Young, CJ McCollum, Jrue Holiday, D’Angelo Russell, Zach LaVine
Not saying any of these guys should make the final roster (though Towns would be a good fit), but they’re all better than McGee and some of the other guys who made it.
Anybody else a little upset that giannis wont be playing for U.S.A?