Team USA Olympic roster watch: Brunson rises, Holmgren slips in ESPN view

The Team USA Olympic roster picture for Los Angeles 2028 is already getting messy, and ESPN’s Zach Kram has flagged 11 NBA players whose cases have moved since his earlier projection.

In a July 28 analysis, Kram wrote that the United States should be expected to contend at home after winning five straight Olympic men’s basketball gold medals and eight of nine since NBA players entered the tournament. He also warned that the next group may face a tricky handoff after LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant led the 2024 team in Paris.

Kram based his stock watch on the back half of the 2025-26 NBA season and the playoffs, splitting the list into players gaining momentum and players losing it.

Which NBA players are rising for Team USA?

Jalen Brunson is the biggest climber in Kram’s view. The New York Knicks guard was not in Kram’s first 12-man projection, but ESPN now frames him as hard to leave out after winning Finals MVP and adding an NBA title to a résumé that already included a high school state championship and two college national titles.

Kram also pointed to Brunson’s late-game scoring and his prior Team USA commitment, noting that Brunson changed his wedding date to play in the 2023 World Cup.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes also strengthened his case. ESPN cited his seven-game postseason run, when he averaged 24.1 points, 8.6 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals. Kram added that Barnes was the only player in the regular season with more than 100 blocks and 100 steals.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels moved up as a possible defensive specialist. Kram noted his career-best 41% shooting from 3-point range and wrote that he largely contained Jamal Murray and De’Aaron Fox in the playoffs.

San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, entered the conversation after a rookie postseason in which Kram said he was often the best playoff guard on the floor for a Finals team.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo rose partly because other American big men did not. ESPN noted that Adebayo suffered a back injury early in Miami’s play-in loss, but Kram argued that Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis were injured for much of the season, while Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren and Evan Mobley did not help themselves in the playoffs.

James remains a wild card. Kram cited James’ two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, with a second-year player option that could run through June 2028. James previously said on the “Mind the Game” podcast, “Don’t even ask. I will be watching it from Cabo,” when asked about 2028.

Which Team USA candidates are falling?

Holmgren’s dip comes despite major achievements. ESPN noted that he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and made an All-NBA team, but Kram highlighted his conference finals against the Spurs, when he averaged 10.7 points on 51% shooting after averaging 18.6 points on 60% shooting in the first two playoff rounds.

Duren’s postseason hurt him more sharply. ESPN Research found that his scoring fell by 9.3 points per game from the regular season to the playoffs, the largest drop for an All-Star since 1969 among players with at least 10 playoff games.

Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel also slipped after a poor finish. ESPN said he shot 5-for-22 overall and 3-for-12 from 3-point range in two play-in games, then sat late in Charlotte’s overtime win over Miami.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell reached the conference finals for the first time, but Kram wrote that his individual postseason play worked against him and that Brunson now sits ahead of him among similar American guard options.

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, a 2024 gold medalist, is trending down because of age and shooting. ESPN listed his 2025-26 marks at 39% from the field, 33% on 3-pointers and 49% on 2s, with Kram saying that decline could leave him too far from his peak by 2028.

This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.