3 Nuggets players who could be sneaky good candidates for Team USA in 2028
By Tyler Key
Ever since Steph Curry took over in the gold medal game against France and won Team USA's fifth straight Olympic gold medal, there has been talk about who the top candidates are to make the 2028 roster. Maybe a Denver Nuggets player will represent Team USA in Los Angeles.
Players like LeBron James (39), Steph Curry (36), Kevin Durant (35), and Jrue Holiday (34) have almost certainly played in their final Olympics. Additionally, slightly younger players like Anthony Davis (31), Joel Embiid (30), and Derrick White (30) will all be out of their prime and on the tail-ends of their careers when 2028 rolls around, which may open up even more roster spots for Team USA.
Of the 12 players who represented Team USA in Paris this year, only five look like reasonable locks to make the next Olympic roster if healthy: Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, Jayson Tatum, and Tyrese Haliburton. That leaves seven spots left for the taking and means that the team would be in drastic need of some forward and big-man depth.
Will a Nuggets player represent Team USA at the 2028 LA Olympics?
Carmelo Anthony is the most famous Nuggets player to represent Team USA at the Olympics. He was part of Team USA's "failure" in 2004 when the United States did not make the gold medal match and received a bronze medal in Athens instead. Luckily, Melo was also part of the following three gold medals that the men's team earned.
As for the last Nugget to play for Team USA, that would technically be Andre Iguodala. In the 2012 Olympics, “Iggy” was traded to Denver from Philadelphia on the same day the USA played Argentina in the semifinals. He played a combined 14 minutes in the semifinals and the gold medal game.
While there might not be likely candidates to make Team USA in 2028, three Nuggets could be sneaky good fits on the roster if things break right. If the USA staff is still looking for complimentary role players like White and Holiday, these Denver players could fit a need.