Cooper Flagg has likely already locked down spot coveted Team USA spot

If the next summer Olympics started tomorrow, would Cooper Flagg crack Team USA? It's a fair question to ask about the Dallas Mavericks' star rookie and potential NBA Rookie of the Year. My gut says yes, but the decision-makers at USA Basketball could opt for more experienced players.

Luckily, the next summer Olympics aren't until 2028 — meaning there are two full NBA seasons after this one before those decisions are made. If Flagg is a legit contender to make the team now, with just half an NBA season under his belt, he's a near lock to make it as a 21 year-old when the 2028 games come around.

I don't think it's a stretch to say that, not only will Flagg make the 2028 Olympics roster, but he'll be a huge contributor on it, too. Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham feel like the best bets to be the de facto "leaders" on that team, but Flagg became so good, so quickly, that imagining what kind of player he'll be by 2028 is dizzying.

Cooper Flagg could run Team USA for the next decade

Regardless of what you think of the "face of the league" debates, Flagg likely making (and potentially starring) on Team USA at just 21 years old would set him up nicely to take USA Basketball into its next era as the old guard — LeBron James and Kevin Durant, most notably — are fazed out due to old. Although Durant does seem intent on playing in 2028 (I'm not ready to pencil him in quite yet, though, as he'll be nearing 40 by that point).

It's going to be weird watching Team USA consist of guys we've long thought of as the "future" of basketball in this country. By 2028, they will all be the present, Flagg included.

LeBron James played in his first Olympics at 19 years old in 2004. As he (likely) ended his Team USA career with a Gold Medal in Paris in 2024, Flagg's run representing the country is set to begin. He's not the only young player who will think they are taking the torch from LeBron — but at 21 years old in his first Olympics ever, it will feel like a pretty clean handoff.

It's not going to be a cakewalk for Team USA in 2028, either — they might not enter that tournament as the favorites, and that's due to the other young superstar in Texas right now.