3 players USA Basketball could choose for final Olympic roster spot

Jeremy Vernon

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3 players USA Basketball could choose for final Olympic roster spot image

On Monday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that USA Basketball is in the process of finalizing its roster for the upcoming Paris Olympics, and 11 of the 12 roster spots have been claimed.

The 11 players mentioned by Woj as roster locks are: Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Jrue Holiday, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum.

Woj also mentioned that the team might initially keep an open roster spot before deciding on a final player to join the squad, but it stands to reason that Team USA will fill the position long before the opening ceremonies on July 26.

So, which American player could take that final roster spot and help Team USA in their quest for a fifth-straight gold medal? Here are three of the most attractive options.

Kawhi Leonard, G/F, Los Angeles Clippers

The casual fan might think Kawhi Leonard is past his prime, but the five-time All-NBA selection and two-time Defensive Player of the Year just had his best season in years with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Playing in 68 games — his most in a single regular season since 2016-17 (74) — Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 52.5% from the floor and 41.7% from 3-point range. Behind Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers earned the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a 51-31 overall record and will play the Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

While he is 32 years old, Team USA clearly has no issues having veteran talent on the team. Including LeBron (40), six of the 11 players already selected are 30 or older. Even if Leonard isn’t selected, the United States might be the oldest team by average age in contention at the Olympics.

After Woj broke the news on Monday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Joe Vardon reported that Leonard is the leading candidate for the final spot. If that is true, Leonard would make his Olympic debut this summer.

Leonard is dealing with right-knee inflammation and missed the final eight games of the regular season, but the Clippers hope he'll be fully healthy for their first-round series against the Mavs.   

Jalen Brunson, G, New York Knicks

Seemingly a lock for a spot on one of the first two All-NBA teams this season, Jalen Brunson has revitalized basketball in the Big Apple and arguably has New York Knicks fans feeling the happiest they’ve been in decades.

In his second season with New York, Brunson averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 40.1% from 3-point range. The 6-foot-2 guard earned his first career All-Star selection in 2023-24 and led the Knicks to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Brunson would offer some solid depth at the guard position if he gets the call to be the 12th man. While this version of Team USA has a pass-first point guard in Haliburton, a defensive stalwart in Holiday and a long-range sharpshooter in Curry, it lacks a primary ball-handler who can attack a defense at all three levels the way Brunson can.

It seems strange that Brunson was snubbed considering the regular season he had, and the fact that he competed with Team USA at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Brunson averaged 11.0 points and 4.0 assists in 20.3 minutes per game while shooting 50.8% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range in eight games during the tournament as the United States placed fourth.

Paolo Banchero, F, Orlando Magic

While he would be the youngest member of Team USA, Paolo Banchero could be a perfect fit on a roster made up of mostly veteran talent.

In his second year with the Orlando Magic in 2023-24, Banchero was named an All-Star and averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Playing alongside up-and-coming star Franz Wagner and defensive studs Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac, Banchero led the Magic to the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and their most wins in a season (47) since capturing 52 back in 2010-11.

Banchero would play either small forward or power forward for Team USA and could even fill in as a center in a small-ball lineup, as he did during the 2023 FIBA World Cup. While he stands at 6-foot-10, Banchero can take people off the dribble just as well as he can post them up. He’s also a solid passer from wherever he is on the court.

He could also be a solid insurance policy knowing the injury history of Team USA’s current frontcourt. Both Embiid and Davis have dealt with injuries throughout their careers, and Embiid is currently working his way back from a left knee injury. 

During the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the 2022-23 Rookie of the Year averaged 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 17.3 minutes per game.   

Jeremy Vernon

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Jeremy Vernon is a reporter and editor from Greensboro, North Carolina, with a decade of experience in the industry. His previous stops include MLB.com and two local papers in N.C. — the Monroe Enquirer-Journal and the Chatham News + Record. When he isn’t working, you can likely find Jeremy at the dog park with his two-year old lab mix, Summer.