2028 Olympics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Simmons, Offseason, Trade Trends, RefMasters

March 17th, 2025 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been over a decade since Clippers guard Ben Simmons last played for Australia in an international tournament, but the former No. 1 overall pick tells Grant Afseth of RG.org that he hopes to take part in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles if he’s healthy and earns a spot on the Boomers’ roster.

“That’s what I’ve always wanted — to play in the Olympics,” Simmons said. “If I’m healthy and I’m good to go, then I’ll definitely be there.”

Simmons spoke in the past about the possibility of playing in the 2016, 2020, or 2024 Olympics. However, he withdrew in 2016 to prepare for his NBA rookie season and did so again in 2021 to focus on his individual skill development. Ongoing back issues prevented the three-time All-Star from being available for the 2024 event.

In addition to expressing early interest in being part of Australia’s roster for the 2028 Olympics, Simmons voiced his support for Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, who was named the new head coach of the men’s basketball team last week.

“He’s a great coach and a great person,” Simmons told Afseth. “I’m looking forward to talking to him and getting connected — continue to build our relationship going into the next Olympics.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In an entertaining article for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus looks ahead to the offseason and identifies three possible targets in free agency or via trade for all 30 teams. There’s some overlap along the way — for instance, Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford is considered a potential trade target for the Hawks, Pacers, Lakers, and Raptors.
Writing for Marc Stein’s Substack, NBA insider Jake Fischer examines some trade-related trends that have been created as a result of the new CBA, including an increase in deals involving three or more teams and a reluctance by teams to use their full mid-level exceptions in free agency, since those exceptions can now be used to acquire players via trade. “That will be a new trend,” one team strategist said. “More teams holding their mid-level exception open for the trade deadline.”
Three years ago, the NBA’s referees released a social and educational app known as RefMasters, which is designed to help improve play calls and to expand the pool of up-and-coming officials. Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic takes a closer look at how it works and what its creators hope to accomplish.

And-Ones: Eaglestaff, Kyrie, Australia, MVP Race, Rookies, More

March 12th, 2025 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

North Dakota junior Treysen Eaglestaff will enter the NCAA’s transfer portal while testing the NBA draft waters, agent George S. Langberg tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).

Eaglestaff wasn’t included in Givony’s most recent top-100 list of prospects for the 2025 draft, but he had a strong season as a scorer for the Fighting Hawks in 2024/25, averaging 18.9 points per game on 416/.359/.794 shooting in 33 outings.

Eaglestaff’s scoring average was buoyed by some massive performances, including a 51-point outburst in the quarterfinals of the Summit League tournament against South Dakota State last Friday. The 6’6″ shooting guard also put up 40 points in a loss to Alabama on December 18. He knocked down a career-high eight three-pointers in both of those games.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

There may be too many hurdles to clear to make it actually happen, but after Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving expressed interest in playing for the Australian national team at the 2028 Olympics, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is fully on board with the idea, per Grant Afseth of RG.org. “Oh yeah, I love it. I love it,” Daniels said. “I know he wants to do it. We want him to come play for us. There’s a lot of stuff that has to get cleared for him to come play, but we welcome him with open arms. He’s a brother. He’s an Australian.” Irving has Australian citizenship, but he previously played for Team USA in international competitions, so both USA Basketball and FIBA would need to sign off for him to play for the Boomers.
In a pair of stories for The Athletic, one panel of NBA writers debates which player is most deserving of this season’s MVP award, while another panel takes a closer look at an uninspiring race for the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference. While a recent three-game winning streak for the Bulls has put them in prime position for a play-in spot, the general consensus on the MVP race is that it remains too close to call between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
Elsewhere at the Athletic, draft expert Sam Vecenie has updated his rookie rankings for the 2024/25 class, placing a pair of Grizzlies – Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey – in his top three, sandwiching Spurs guard Stephon Castle at No. 2. First overall pick Zaccharie Risacher of the Hawks and Heat big man Kel’el Ware round out Vecenie’s top five.
It has been five years since the NBA shut down its 2019/20 season due to COVID-19. In an extensive oral history, Baxter Holmes and Tim MacMahon of ESPN revisit that period, sharing a number of interesting behind-the-scenes details on how the league came to its decision and how teams and players reacted.

And-Ones: Warren, Baker, 2025 Draft, Banchero

February 27th, 2025 at 10:49pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Due to their hard cap, the Knicks are eligible to sign a 15th man to their roster as early as Friday. Free agent forward T.J. Warren is among the players on the New York’s radar and he’s currently suiting up for their G League affiliate in Westchester.

Warren said he’s valuing getting game experience while working his way back to the league. As SNY’s Ian Begley writes, Warren scored a Westchester-record 47 points in a game on February 7 and is averaging 24.9 PPG with a .357 3PT% (8.4 attempts per game).

“It’s been a blessing,” Warren said in an interview with SNY. “I just wanted to get some reps and get in the flow of playing basketball again and just show health. It’s been great being out here, mentoring the guys, just kind of showing them my experiences and teaching them the right way and having fun with it. Take advantage of every day. No wasted days.”

Warren last played in the NBA last year when he caught on with the Timberwolves for 11 games toward the end of the season. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau praised the route Warren is taking to try to get back to the league.

“I have a lot of respect for what he’s doing,” Thibodeau said. “He’s had a terrific year and he’s been great down there. For our young guys to watch somebody like that, who loves the game, great teammate and obviously he’s been terrific on the floor; I have a lot of respect for that.”

We have more from around the basketball world:

Robert Baker II officially joined ALBA Berlin prior to this week’s EuroLeague signing deadline, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (Twitter link). Baker, the president of the G League’s Players Union, has turned down multiple offers to join NBA front offices, according to Urbonas (Twitter link). The Osceola Magic, with whom Baker had been playing, confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link via the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede).
Cooper Flagg continues to prove why he’s the no-brainer No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 draft, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie writes in his latest big board. Dylan Harper (No. 2), Ace Bailey (No. 3), V.J. Edgecombe (No. 4) and Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 5) round out the rest of Vecenie’s top five. Outside of that, Vecenie takes a deeper dive into more under-the-radar guys, like Arizona’s Carter Bryant, San Diego State’s Miles Byrd and France’s Joan Beringer. I highly recommend checking out what Vecenie has to say about the rest of the class if you have a subscription to The Athletic, as his draft analysis is among the most in-depth.
In another piece related to the 2025 draft, The Athletic’s John Hollinger takes a closer look at three prospects, evaluating where they stand as the college season winds down. Hollinger agrees with Vecenie in that Bryant’s stock is on the rise, while Duke’s Khaman Maluach is stabilizing and Georgia’s Asa Newell is proving to be a bit more of a question mark. Hollinger also considers whether Edgecombe can push Harper for the No. 2 slot and discusses which prospect he believes is the most undervalued.
Former USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr said he would be surprised if Magic forward Paolo Banchero isn’t on the 2028 Olympic team that competes in Los Angeles, according to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link). Kerr went on to say that Banchero actually almost made the cut for the 2024 team, per Beede (Twitter link). “He was right in the mix [until] the last second for Paris,” Kerr said. “That’s how strongly we felt about him in the Philippines during the [FIBA] World Cup. He’s such a talented guy and versatile. … he was right in the mix and ultimately it just came down to roster construction, what we needed. We ended up deciding more on guard play than frontcourt.“

Kyrie Irving Considers Playing For Australia In 2028 Olympics

February 17th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, who won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2016 Olympics, is interested in representing Australia in the 2028 Games, writes Grant Afseth of Athlon Sports. Irving, who was born in Melbourne and has joint U.S. and Australian citizenship, has already explored the steps that would be necessary to make the change.

“Man, we’re in the process of that right now, just trying to figure out the best route for me to be eligible,” he said at All-Star Weekend. “There’s a lot of paperwork involved. Obviously, USA still has a decision to make, but for me, I’m just trying to do what’s best. Honestly, if I can be an Aussie at one point in my career and play for the Australian team, that would be great.”

Irving first floated the idea of switching teams last fall, Afseth adds. That came after he was passed over for the 2024 U.S. squad that captured gold in Paris, despite expressing his interest in playing to Team USA Managing Director Grant Hill on numerous occasions.

“I had communication with Grant throughout the season, but I think it was more or less a surprise that I wanted to play,” Irving said in an October interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I think it was just a surprise that I wanted to play and [that] I was engaged. I speak on this from a healthy standpoint, like let me make sure that’s clear too. It wasn’t jealousy. It was like, ‘Oh, OK, this means that there’s an extra motivation, just naturally, where, OK, I guess 2028 [is the plan]?’ And maybe it’s not for Team USA. I’m just really proud of the [Team USA] guys, at the end of the day.”

Irving continues to put up elite numbers at age 32, averaging 24.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 44 games. However, Amick notes that he’ll be 36 when Los Angeles hosts the Games in 2028 and will face plenty of competition from younger American players.

His path toward an Olympic spot figures to be easier with Australia, although the Boomers have established themselves as one of the best teams in international basketball. Afseth states that Irving will need clearance from both USA Basketball and FIBA before he could play for Australia.

Nuggets Notes: Westbrook, Murray, Title Window, Malone, Gordon

September 27th, 2024 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing at the Nuggets‘ media day on Thursday after joining the team as a free agent over the summer, Russell Westbrook expressed excitement about his new opportunity and earned praise from teammates and his new head coach alike, as Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post writes.

“He has a competitive, ‘I’m going to get in your s–t’ mindset that I love,” head coach Michael Malone said. “… I think he’s going to help individual players achieve their potential and push them to be the best they can be. I love guys (who) bring it every single night, and that’s what he has done.”

While the former MVP has a much different skill set than Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets’ former starting shooting guard who signed with Orlando in July, Malone believes Westbrook is underrated on defense and is capable of making up some of what Denver lost on that end of the court as a result of Caldwell-Pope’s departure.

“When we went back and watched his defense last year with the Clippers, at the end of games, he was on the opposing team’s best player every night,” Malone said.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Jamal Murray struggled in both the postseason in the spring and the Olympics in the summer, and Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said last month that health issues were a significant factor. However, Murray told reporters on Thursday that he has no injury-related limitations entering training camp and that he feels good, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
The Nuggets believe their championship window remains very much open entering the 2024/25 season, as Baxter Holmes of ESPN relays. “In a best-case scenario, I think Nikola (Jokic) has a prime 10-year contention window,” general manager Calvin Booth said. “I think we’re about halfway through it. So, we probably have about five more similar shots and all the shots count. We hit one of them, that’s great. The earlier we hit it, the more we can have conversations about other things, but it’s going to be incredibly hard to win another one.” According to Malone, Murray has expressed to his teammates that they should feel a sense of urgency to capitalize on that title window. “He reminds his teammates, don’t take this for granted,” Malone said. “He goes, ‘We have a championship window, not every team has a championship window. And what do you do? Do you take advantage of that, or do you look back in 20 years and have regrets?'”
Booth acknowledged that he’ll be keeping a close eye during the first half of the season on whether the Nuggets have enough shooting in their rotation and will be prepared to move at the trade deadline to address that area if necessary, writes Sean Keeler of The Denver Post.
Asked on Thursday about offseason rumors of tension between him and Booth, Malone offered a diplomatic answer, Keeler notes. “Calvin and I shouldn’t always agree. If we’re always agreeing, then we’re not really accomplishing what we need to accomplish,” the Nuggets’ head coach said. “But through those disagreements and through those conversations, you come to a greater good.”
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, who becomes eligible on Friday for an extension worth up to $143MM over four years, indicated on Twitter that he’d be interested in representing Team USA at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. In case you missed it, Gordon and the Nuggets expressed optimism this week about the possibility of reaching a long-term deal.
A total of 20 Nuggets games will be televised over the air for free locally in 2024/25, while a new streaming service called Altitude+ will allow subscribers to watch the team’s other non-national broadcasts, according to Durando. Nuggets executive Kevin Demoff told Durando that the team is still looking to resolve a carriage dispute between Altitude Sports and Comcast that would allow local Comcast customers to watch Nuggets games. Altitude had been blacked out on Comcast since 2019.

Kyle Kuzma Wants To Play In 2028 Olympics

September 16th, 2024 at 9:21am CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma is hoping to play in the 2028 Olympics, and he’s willing to represent another nation if he doesn’t land a spot with Team USA. In an interview with All-Star Magazine (YouTube link), Kuzma talked about watching the U.S. win a gold medal in Paris last month and wanting to be part of that experience.

“My number one goal is to play with Team USA in the Olympics, 100%, in four years,” he said during a visit to Manila. “I had the opportunity to play for Team USA back in the 2019 FIBA World Cup before I broke my foot, but I think it’s really cool that other players are going other places to play. Because it’s very, very tough to play for Team USA. It’s the top of the top, and it’s a little political at some times. But I’m going to work really hard and hopefully one day I can get back there.”

Kuzma celebrated his 29th birthday this summer, so he’ll be 33 when the Olympic Games return to Los Angeles in four years, likely making it his last chance to participate. While the Flint, Michigan, native prefers to represent his native country, he expressed an openness to the idea of playing for the Philippines national team, which would require clearance from FIBA and Team USA.

“I could rock out with JC (Jordan Clarkson),” Kuzma said. “That’d be cool.”

Kuzma is currently preparing for his eighth NBA season and his fourth with Washington. He’s one of the few veteran players on the Wizards, who are in the midst of a youth movement and are likely to have one of the top picks in next year’s draft.

Kuzma’s long-term role with the franchise appears uncertain. He’s coming off one of the best seasons of his career — averaging 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 70 games — so he could have more value to a contender, and the front office may be willing to part with him to add to its stockpile of draft assets. Kuzma has three seasons remaining on the extension he signed last summer, so he doesn’t have much leverage if he decides he’d rather play for a team with a better chance of winning.

Among the other topics Kuzma addressed in the interview was his admiration for Heat president Pat Riley, although their paths have never crossed in the NBA.

“I’ve always admired him,” Kuzma said. “I just admired his no-nonsense approach when it came to basketball, and being professional, because that’s me. When I’m off the court, I’m very fun, I have all these different passions, but when I step (on the court), I’m very serious because I love it and it’s important to me. I just love what he stands for and his tutelage of the sport. From the Showtime (Lakers) years up until just building what the Heat culture is, it’s pretty phenomenal.”

Suns Notes: Booker, Little, Durant

August 22nd, 2024 at 3:13pm CST by Rory Maher

He didn’t garner as much media attention as some of his teammates, but Devin Booker‘s excellent all-around play for Team USA at the Olympics is a useful point of reference for how the Suns could utilize him in 2024/25, writes Seerat Sohi of The Ringer.

As Sohi details, Booker was frequently utilized in an off-ball role early in his career, before the arrival of Chris Paul. While the 27-year-old developed as a play-maker during his time with Paul and the team found plenty of success — including making the NBA Finals in 2021 — the team’s offense became increasingly heliocentric. That trend continued in 2023/24 after Paul’s departure, with Booker often playing point guard.

With free agent addition Tyus Jones expected to start at point guard and orchestrate the offense, Booker’s off-ball play will be crucial if the team hopes to make the most of its collective talent, according to Sohi, who says playing off the ball more often could help the 27-year-old defensively as well.

Here’s more on the Suns:

Aside from the financial component, the Suns are waiving Nassir Little because he was unlikely to crack their rotation this season, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Phoenix will use the stretch provision on Little’s contract, reducing his cap hit over the next three seasons while instead paying him about $3.1MM annually over the next seven years. By releasing Little and fellow forward E.J. Liddell, the Suns will only have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, giving them more roster flexibility heading into the season, Bourguet notes.
Will star forward Kevin Durant return to Team USA for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles? That’s obviously too many years away for a definitive answer, but Durant fueled speculation by writing “see yall (sic) in LA” on Twitter. The 14-time All-Star will be nearing his 40th birthday by the time the 2028 Olympic Games roll around.

International Notes: Yurtseven, Petrusev, T. Williams, 2028 Olympics

August 19th, 2024 at 9:31am CST by Arthur Hill

Omer Yurtseven has an agreement in principle to sign with Panathinaikos in Greece, according to Eurohoops, relaying a report from Greek news outlet SDNA. Panathinaikos has reportedly made an official offer for the 26-year-old center, and coach Ergin Ataman has given the club president a “green light” for the signing.

Sources tell Eurohoops that even though Yurtseven has reached an agreement with the team, he has requested a few more days to explore his NBA options before finalizing it. He has spent the past three years in the NBA, playing for Utah last season after two years in Miami. He had a $2.66MM non-guaranteed salary for 2024/25, but the Jazz opted to waive him in July.

Yurtseven started his career in Europe with Fenerbahce before heading to the U.S. to play collegiately with North Carolina State and Georgetown.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Filip Petrusev, who played three combined games with Philadelphia and Sacramento last season, may be returning to Crvena Zvezda, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Petrusev remains under contract with Olympiacos after signing with the Greek team in November, but the 24-year-old big man is reportedly discussing a return to Belgrade. “We have not reached an agreement, yet. We were in talks,” team president Nebojsa Covic told Serbian television network Prva. “He expressed his desire. We worked on it and are working on it, especially with (Sasha) Vezenkov back.” Olympiacos doesn’t appear willing to part with Petrusev, issuing a statement in response that reads, “Mr. Covic should occupy himself with the players of his team instead of those of Olympiacos.” Petrusev played for Serbia in the Olympics.
Trevion Williams is part of the roster announced by ALBA Berlin for the upcoming season, per Eurohoops. The 23-year-old big man, who played four years at Purdue, was selected by the Suns’ new G League affiliate in the June expansion draft.
Danny Chau of The Ringer looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics, including some international prospects who are likely to make their debuts.

Stein’s Latest: Curry, James, Embiid, Yurtseven, Micic

August 18th, 2024 at 3:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry is eligible for a one-season, $62.6MM contract extension prior to October 21. He could also wait until the 2025 offseason to seek a two-year deal worth a projected $130MM, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

Stein notes that, having missed out on Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen and Sixers All-Star Paul George, Golden State continues looking for opportunities to upgrade the roster via trade. The Warriors believe they have the current and future assets necessary to do just that.

Last year’s Warriors went 46-36, finishing with just the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Golden State failed to make the playoffs after falling to the Kings in the play-in tournament.

Curry, 36, had yet another excellent individual year. The 10-time All-Star averaged 26.4 points on .450/.408/.923 shooting splits, 5.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 74 games.

Here are some other key notes from Stein’s newest Substack article:

According to Stein, there’s a belief that the Lakers would have “reluctantly” engaged in trade discussions to send All-NBA combo forward LeBron James to the Warriors, so he could join then-future Team USA colleague Curry and friend Draymond Green, if that’s what James had wanted. However, Stein’s sources say that Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, James’ longtime agent, urged both L.A. and Golden State to scrap the idea — in part because Paul didn’t want James to be faced with criticism for jumping teams for a fourth time.
Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid, fresh off winning his first Olympic gold medal for Team USA this summer, hinted that he might be interested in playing for his native Cameroon during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. However, as Stein writes, a player over the age of 17 can only change his country affiliation if he receives clearance from FIBA and his previous country (in this case, USA Basketball). Stein is skeptical that Embiid will be permitted to do so.
According to Stein, free agent center Omer Yurtseven was one of several players to recently work out for the Knicks, who opted not to sign him at that time. Greek club Panathinaikos reportedly remains intrigued by the 7-footer. New York lost its 2023/24 starting center, Isaiah Hartenstein, to the Thunder in free agency, and no doubt needs to get creative filling out its frontcourt depth, so Yurtseven would have made sense as a fringe rotation option. Across three NBA seasons with the Heat and Jazz, the big man has appeared in 113 contests (24 starts), averaging 5.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.7 steals per night.
Hornets point guard Vasilije Micic is considered a potential down-the-road trade target for the Nuggets, given his close relationship with Nikola Jokic, Stein writes. Micic may not be a practical option for Denver at this point though, given his $7.7MM salary and the team’s proximity to the tax aprons. Acquired midway through his 2023/24 rookie season, the 6’5″ guard averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 assists across 30 games for Charlotte down the stretch.

And-Ones: Wong, NBA Cup, 2028 Olympics

August 18th, 2024 at 1:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent combo guard Isaiah Wong is joining the G League United roster for September’s G League Invitational exhibition tournament, the league has announced (Twitter link).

Wong, 23, was selected by the Pacers with the No. 55 pick in last year’s draft, following an All-American run at Miami. The 6’4″ guard agreed to a two-way deal with Indiana, and ultimately appeared in just one game with the Pacers proper, scoring two points in just four minutes of action.

Across 30 regular season games with the Pacers’ NBAGL affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants, Wong averaged 14.8 points per game on .437/.283/.814 shooting. He also notched 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 0.8 steals per contest.

The Invitational, which will feature the G League United playing Serbian club KK Mega Basket, will take place on September 4 and 6.

Here’s more from around the NBA world:

With the schedule officially set for this year’s Emirates NBA Cup, formerly the in-season tournament, Zach Harper of The Athletic supplies an early preview of this year’s six groups, predicting the eight clubs that will advance to the quarterfinal round. In perhaps the biggest surprise projection, Harper thinks the Pelicans will survive West Group C to move on. Group C comprises a murderer’s row of squads, including the 2023 champion Nuggets, the 2024 West champion Mavericks, the revamped Warriors, and the healing Grizzlies.
Assuming 39-year-old LeBron James, 36-year-old Stephen Curry, and perhaps 35-year-old Kevin Durant do not join Team USA for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic speculates as to what the roster will look like — and what its chances will be against a rapidly improving field. Rankin expects at least five 2024 players to be replaced: James, Durant, Curry, and All-Defensive Second Team Celtics guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.
In case you missed it, several NBA superstars past and present will partake in a tribute game to one-time All-NBA point guard Goran Dragic, who announced his retirement last December.