Basketball at LA28: Which NBA youngsters could feature at the Olympics in Los Angeles?

We're just over one month on from the enthralling men's basketball competition at Paris 2024 that saw the USA win a fifth successive (and 17th total) Olympic gold medal. Still, it's never too early to start looking ahead to the next edition of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in four years.

With the new NBA season fast approaching (22 October), we profile some of the league's young stars who could be part of their nation's Olympic rosters at LA28, should they qualify.

Victor Wembanyama, France

Where else to begin than with the most obvious inclusion for the Olympics for years to come?

At just 20 years old, Wembanyama lived up to the hype in his debut season in the NBA (2023-24) by finishing as the Rookie of the Year and blocks leader, earning All-Defensive and All-Rookie First Team selections in the process.

Oh - and he's already an Olympic silver medallist, courtesy of France's second-place finish in Paris.

What's crazy is that even though Wembanyama led Les Bleus in points (15.8), rebounds (9.7), assists (3.3), steals (2.0) and blocks (1.7) per game at the Olympics this summer, he's still nowhere near his basketball prime.

Imagine what a terrifying prospect he and the French team will be in Los Angeles with four more years of maturity and development under the tutelage of legendary San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich. Indeed, Wembanyana hinted at as much following France's loss to the USA in the gold medal game.

"I’m learning, and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple of years," the 7-foot-4 phenom told the San Antonio Express-News.

When asked if he was referring to NBA or FIBA opponents, Wembanyama simply replied: "everywhere."

Alperen Sengun, Türkiye

Sengun is entering his fourth season in the NBA after a terrific '23-24 campaign in which he posted career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game. He also became the youngest center in NBA history to reach 500 assists at age 21 years and 99 days, surpassing Nikola Jokić's previous record of 22 years and 40 days old.

At 6-feet-11 and 243lbs, the 22-year-old has developed into an elite passer and post presence for the Houston Rockets, flashing a point-forward skill set that has drawn comparisons to three-time MVP Jokic.

He deserves the opportunity to showcase his talent on an Olympic court, but Türkiye have only qualified for the men's competition at the Games on two occassions: 1936 and 1956 (finishing 23rd and 21st, respectively).

Still, if 12 Dev Adam can break that streak and qualify for LA28, rest assured that Sengun will seize the opportunity to represent his nation in the City of Angels.

Chet Holmgren, USA

The USA will be heavy favourites to win gold again on home turf in LA, thanks in large part to the ludicrous amount of youthful talent already in the NBA and the popularity of the sport in the country, ensuring there will always be a consistent pool of players for USA Basketball to choose from.

In truth, this article could solely be about US players, including Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, but we decided to focus on the Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren.

At 7-foot-1 and 208 lbs with a 7-foot-6 inch wingspan, Holmgren - like Wembanyama - is a presence on the glass, as evidenced by his 2.3 blocks and 7.9 rebounds per game. But also like Wembanyama, he's an accomplished ball handler for his size with a smooth jump shot, perfectly encapsulating the new breed of center in the NBA: one who can defend and rebound but also operate as a pseudo point guard if needs be.

The 22-year-old has only played for the USA at the Under-19 level, but there's a high probablity he will be part of the senior set-up in due course; likely for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Matas Buzelis, Lithuania

Buzelis was drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2024 NBA Draft, meaning we will get our first chance to watch him on an NBA court this season.

At 6-foot-10 and 209lbs, Buzelis is yet another player in the mould of Holmgren and Wembanyama - albeit much smaller. But he is significantly quicker than the duo with as good a jump shot and ball handling skills - though these skills were on display in the G League; the NBA will present signifcantly higher competition for the 19-year-old.

Buzelis comes from a basketball family (both of his parents played basketball professionally in Lithuania before immigrating to the United States) and has time on his side. If he can prove that he belongs in the world's best league, there's every chance the Lithuanian national team will enlist his help to bring them back to the Olympics for the first time since 2016.

Shaedon Sharpe, Canada

The Canadian men's team is in the best shape it's ever been, boasting premiere talent like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett that helped the squad win bronze at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and reach the quarter-final stage in Paris.

Sharpe wasn't a part of those teams, owing in large part to his youth (21-years-old) and, with specific regards to the Olympics, a shoulder injury that cut his '23-24 season short. Given the way he was playing (15.9 points, 5 rebounds), there's every chance that Sharpe could have been a part of the Canadian team in France.

As it is, the remarkable athlete (Sharpe boasts a stunning 49-inch vertical) will have a few more seasons to hone his craft with the Portland Trail Blazers, which will only serve him and Canada well come LA28.

Nikola Jović, Serbia

Jović, like Wembanyama, can call himself an Olympic medallist, following Serbia's third-place finish at Paris 2024.

Though the 21-year-old only averaged 11 minutes of action in the five games he played, he will have gained incredible experience from the time he did spend on the court - not to mention the opportunity to learn from veterans like Jokic, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vasilije Micic.

In fact, his inclusion on Serbia's Olympic roster shows that head coach Svetislav Pešić recognises his ability, even at such a young age. At 6-foot-10 and 209lbs, Jović has good size for the power forward position, though could do with adding a bit of muscle.

Lucky for him, Jović is a member of one of the most well-respected franchises in the NBA in the Miami Heat, where he will continue to develop under the tutelage of two-time NBA champion head coach Eric Spoelstra.

There's no reason not to expect Jović as a member of the Serbian national program for future Olympic Games.

Santi Aldama, Spain

Spain are in a transitional period following their success of the 2010s that saw La Roja earn Olympic silver and bronze (2012 and 2016), three EuroBasket titles (2011, 2015, 2022) and the 2019 FIBA World Cup championship.

The legendary Gasol brothers (Marc and Pau) may have retired, but from early returns Santi Aldama is well positioned to fill the void the two giants left behind.

At just 23, the 7-footer led his team in scoring (17.7 points per game), rebounds (9.3 per game) and blocks (1.7 per game) at Paris 2024, demonstrating his leadership capabilities and offensive skillset as Spain finished 6th.

His play at the Games should see him earn increased minutes with the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA this season, but expect to see Aldama as part of the Spanish national team for the next three major international tournaments (EuroBasket 2025, 2027 FIBA World Cup, LA28) at the very least.

Bol Bol, South Sudan

Bol was a late scratch from the South Sudan roster for Paris 2024, with the 24-year-old withdrawing due to undisclosed personal reasons.

The Bright Stars performed admirably at their debut apperance at the Games despite Bol's absence (beating Puerto Rico before bowing out of the pool stage with losses against Serbia and the USA), but there's no question South Sudan would have preferred to have the services of Bol.

The Phoenix Sun possesses elite physical measurements (7-foot-3 inches with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach) and good form as a jump shooter and ball handler, though not to the level of his counterparts who are of similar age and height.

Despite this, Bol will be 28 when the Summer Olympics next come about with four years of growth behind him, and all indiciations point to him wanting to represent South Sudan at some point in the near future.

LA28 would be the perfect opportunity for him to do so.