Managing director Grant Hill will have some difficult decisions to make, especially if coach Steve Kerr decides to step down as expected. The potential successors are Clippers coach Tyronn Lue and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. While Kerr did succeed in winning gold, some of his decisions were questioned, especially not playing three-time All-NBA first-team forward Jayson Tatum in two games.
It may be time for a fresh approach for Hill, who did not conduct tryouts for roster spots but opted for a selection process. Players such as Jaylen Brown, Trae Young, Kyrie Irving, and Jalen Brunson were left out. There will be some interesting roster choices for 2028, especially whether Tatum decides to return or if Brown is included.
We decided to project the 12-man roster for 2028, and it includes surprises and omissions:
Anthony Edwards: Edwards is one of the NBA’s premier scorers and he showed that in Paris in limited opportunities. Imagine Edwards with four more years of experience. He’ll be the primary scoring option. The questions are his decision-making — he can be a turnover machine — and his defense. But he won’t turn 27 until after the Los Angeles Olympics. Edwards’s potential and desire to be one of the league’s all-time greats make him a must for the 2028 team. While he makes his share of controversial statements, Edwards impressed his Olympic teammates with his work ethic and positive attitude.
Devin Booker: A Kerr favorite, Booker was one of the top players for the US in Paris because he was able to adjust his game to timely scoring, defense, and rebounding. Perhaps that is what Kerr wanted from Tatum that he wasn’t able to deliver. Booker is a lock for his third Olympic team and changed the perception of his game in Paris. Booker asked for more responsibility than scoring and proved he’s versatile. Booker will be 31 and still in his prime for Los Angeles, where he will have a major role and perhaps be the team’s primary scorer.
Jayson Tatum: If Kerr steps down, it should make Tatum’s decision to return for his third Olympic Games easier. Tatum was visibly embarrassed being benched for two of the six games in Paris, although he admittedly didn’t play his best. But Tatum will be 30 and in his prime, so he should be a lock for Los Angeles. Tatum will look to atone for his difficult stretch in Paris and could have several additional wrinkles to his game and perhaps an MVP, another championship, and a couple of more first-team All-NBA selections on his résumé. Tatum will be back.
Jaylen Brown: You’d expected Hill to consider Brown after he was ignored during the selection process for Paris. Brown will be 31 with perhaps a couple more All-Star and All-NBA nods. It was mostly politics as to why Brown didn’t make Team USA in 2024, and he blames Nike for influencing Hill to keep him off the team. It was embarrassing for Hill to leave out the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference finals MVP and attribute it to basketball reasons. There will be no excuse next time.
Cooper Flagg: We got a chance to witness Flagg clash with NBA players with the USA Select Team. The Maine native is only 17 and entering his freshman season at Duke, but the physical forward is the projected No. 1 pick in next year’s draft — the Wizards may already be tanking — and could be a multi-time All-Star by 2028. Flagg showed so much promise with the USA Select Team he’ll certainly receive an invite to the Los Angeles 2028 team. Flagg also played for the US Under-17 team and was named USA Basketball Athlete of the Year in 2022.
Paolo Banchero: Another player who may have had an opportunity to make the Paris team if there were tryouts. Banchero is a physical specimen, strong defender, and emerging scorer for the Magic. He just completed his second season and has become a better playmaker than expected, averaging 5.4 assists as he reached his first All-Star Game. Banchero should add physicality and athleticism to Team USA’s frontcourt and he’ll be entering his prime when Los Angeles comes around. It would be a shock if he wasn’t on the team.
Ja Morant: Morant has been mostly forgotten the past few years because of his off-court behavior. He was ready to make a breakthrough with the Grizzlies last season before a shoulder injury. But this coming season should be the beginning of his comeback as one of the NBA’s most electrifying players. Morant will be 28 and in his prime when the Los Angeles Games arrive. If Morant continues to improve, he may be the starting point guard.
Tyrese Maxey: If Team USA conducted tryouts for Paris, Maxey may have emerged as a contender for a roster spot. He can score from all three levels; he’s one of the faster players in the league; and he is approaching his potential after an All-Star season with the 76ers. Maxey should get serious consideration as he continues his rise into one of the league’s top combo guards. Maxey will be 27 when the next Olympics come around. He should be a lock if his rise continues.
Cade Cunningham: What’s been difficult about Cunningham’s first three NBA seasons is the Pistons have been abysmal on the floor and in the front office. Cunningham has averaged 20 points for his career but has been beset by injuries. This pick projects Cunningham turns into one of the league’s best shooting guards over the next four years and the Pistons turn into a competitive squad under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff. When Cunningham is in a groove, he is unstoppable offensively.
Tyrese Haliburton: Haliburton didn’t play much in Paris; another curious decision by Kerr because the Pacers guard has the ability to shoot from the perimeter and run an offense. In four years, Haliburton will be an established All-Star and one of the league’s best floor leaders, so his spot should be locked. Haliburton took it in stride, but he played just 26 minutes over six games, including three DNP-coach’s decisions. That won’t be an issue in Los Angeles as Haliburton will continue to develop.
Bam Adebayo: Adebayo is developing a 3-point shot, which is bad news for the rest of the Eastern Conference. Although he’s been in the NBA for seven years, Adebayo just turned 27 and he’ll be in his prime by the time Los Angeles arrives. Adebayo struggled at times during his stint in Tokyo in 2021, but he upgraded his game offensively and continues to be one of the better defenders of this generation. Adebayo will be a frontcourt staple in 2028 and moving to power forward this season in Miami with the emergence of rookie Kel’el Ware will expand his skill set.
Brandon Miller: Miller came to the NBA under controversial circumstances after being questioned regarding a murder during his freshman season at Alabama. But he was cleared of any connection and has lived up to expectations with the Hornets. He was sparkling as a rookie despite being overshadowed in Charlotte. Give him three more years under new coach Charles Lee and Miller should be a lock for Los Angeles. He is a swingman who can play both forward positions and should give the lineup length and perimeter scoring with athleticism to slash to the rim.
Others to be considered: Young, De’Aaron Fox, Zion Williamson, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Green, Chet Holmgren.
ETC.
Green starred where he started
Former Celtic Gerald Green celebrated a championship recently at TD Garden. He drained six 3-pointers in leading Bivouac to a 50-47 win over 3′s Company in the Big3 championship. Green, the Celtics’ first-round draft pick in 2005 out of Gulf Shores Academy in Houston, was a 38-year-old gunner who provided scoring off the bench in the 3-on-3 league.
Green had his share of exciting moments at the Garden. He played his first two seasons in Boston before being dealt to the Timberwolves in the Kevin Garnett trade. Green is one of the more athletic players to play in the NBA and won the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest in 2007, putting on a dazzling showcase in Las Vegas.
Nine years later, Green returned to the Celtics for a 47-game stint and was critical to top-seeded Boston coming back from a 0-2 deficit against the Bulls in their first-round playoff series.
“It only seems right,” Green said of winning a title in Boston. “Me and my brother [Garlon], first championship together in the same building where the team drafted me, where I made my dream of being a Celtic. It only made sense. My kids live out there. Every time I come out there the city embraces me like I’m still a Celtic. I’m always going to be a Celtic at heart. It’s just good to come out there and do it where I originally started. It feels good.”
Green has always been a stellar athlete, putting on a show with his dunking during his career. But in his later years, he improved as an overall player, including defense and shooting.
“That just goes to show how much work I put into this,” he said. “A lot of people don’t see what I do when the lights are off. They only see when the lights are on. Sometimes in my career, I haven’t had the opportunity that other players have had, and that’s OK. I’ve always been the guy who’s wanted to be the team player, be the best role player I could be, be a great locker room guy, and I felt like that was always better for the team, not me getting my numbers. It was always me getting wins.
“It just goes to show how much work I put in over the years and how confident I’ve always been in myself.”
Green was 21 when he electrified the crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center with a series of amazing dunks, including when he jumped over a table and completed a windmill to score a 50. It was his career-defining moment. After that trade to Minnesota, he became a journeyman instead of a cornerstone. That dunk contest still brings a smile.
“It’s all about being a part of history, embracing what God gave me,” he said. “God gave me the ability to do things that some people just can’t do. I don’t care how hard they work. And I’ve always been able to be thankful for that throughout my career. I hurt myself in 2019-20, and that kind knocked me out of the league.”
There remains a desire for an NBA return. Green suffered a foot injury that cost him his career after he became a valuable reserve for the Rockets. After 12 NBA seasons and two more in Russia, Green said he is grateful for his experience, but he’s not done.
“Playing basketball in the NBA or professionally is the best job to have in the world,” he said. “I’m thankful I’m able to have the opportunity to play in the Big3. I love the fact I was able to play in the NBA as long as I did. I’m OK in life where I’m at. If it comes, it comes. If there’s an opportunity for me to help an organization, even if it’s not playing; coaching, player development, just being a mentor to the young guys or whatever it is because I have the experience, now I’m broadcasting, I’ll do it.”
It’s been 19 years since Green was drafted, part of the final class eligible to declare out of high school. He is proud of his journey and the Big3 experience has allowed him to perhaps finish on a high note.
“It just goes to show how fast life is,” he said. “You’ve got to always take advantage of your opportunity because life goes fast. Life is always moving fast when you’re having a good time. I’ve been blessed to be able to live my dream for so long and I’m still living it now and I’m trying not to wake up from it.”
Layups
Oshae Brissett is still looking for work after opting out of his contract with the Celtics in hopes of landing a bigger deal with a bigger role. That hasn’t happened and the best the swingman could probably hope for is a training camp invite with a chance to make a club. There is no incentive for the Celtics to use their final roster spot on a guaranteed deal with Brissett and they are likely to give the final spot to recently signed Lonnie Walker IV, who will join the club on an Exhibit 10 contract. Kristaps Porzingis is expected to miss at least the first two months of the regular season following an ankle procedure, but he is back on the court taking shots. The Celtics will not rush him back, relying on Al Horford, Xavier Tillman, Neemias Queta, Luke Kornet, and Anton Watson to supplement the frontcourt . . . Two more quality players just hit the market as the Suns bought out E.J. Liddell and ex-North Carolina standout Nassir Little. Little had just signed a three-year deal and his buyout will be stretched over three years to lessen the salary-cap hit. He seemingly carved out a role in Portland before being traded to Phoenix in the Deandre Ayton deal. Now he’s an unrestricted free agent. Liddell was drafted by the Pelicans, blew out his knee in Las Vegas Summer League, and then was moved to the Hawks in the Dejounte Murray trade. The Hawks dealt him to the Suns for David Roddy. Liddell played eight games with the Pelicans last year and is a likely candidate for a two-way contract . . . With September arriving, more Celtics players will be in Boston to prepare for training camp. Because the club plays two games in Abu Dhabi against the Nuggets, camp will start earlier than other teams. Jayson Tatum will be in Boston in mid-September on a tour to market his new children’s book . . . The Bulls are the latest team to take a flyer on Kenny Lofton Jr., the burly power forward who has played with three teams, including a short stint with the Jazz. Lofton, who just turned 22, was considered a prospect in Memphis but dealt with conditioning issues. He has gotten into better shape and is trying to find a home on a two-way contract.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.
