Crew USA basketball managing director Grant Hill was already fascinated about future Olympics earlier than his squad even received the 2024 Summer time Video games in Paris.
The 2024 group Hill assembled was one of many strongest ever despatched to the Olympic Video games. With LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant main the best way, it’s no shock the lads’s group received its fifth consecutive gold medal.
However given the collective age of the 2024 roster’s high gamers, there’s a great likelihood {that a} handful of them received’t be again for 2028.
That’s why Hill was reportedly eyeing 21-year-old Paolo Banchero as a possible candidate for this 12 months’s Olympics. Based on The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, Banchero was in “critical consideration” for the Paris Video games and is a participant Hill “desires to characteristic in Olympiads to return.”
Crew USA initially had Kawhi Leonard as its twelfth man. However well being points led the group to provide Boston Celtics guard Derrick White a name to take Leonard’s place. Banchero was probably thought of for that very same remaining spot.
Banchero may have simply stuffed in for White, who performed sparingly all through the Olympic event. Nevertheless, Crew USA might have wished a task participant like White slightly than one other ball-dominant scorer in Banchero. In any case, even Banchero’s fellow Duke alumnus Jayson Tatum bought a few DNPs in Paris.
There’s anticipated to be plenty of turnover on Crew USA as soon as the 2028 Olympic Video games arrive in Los Angeles. Even head coach Steve Kerr is anticipated to step down, with his successor more likely to come from his present employees.
