Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Already a Near Lock for 2028 USA Olympic Team

We're two years away from the next Olympics, yet Cooper Flagg is likely well on his way to representing the United States.

Apr 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) runs back up the court during the game between the Mavericks and the Magic at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This summer's World Cup already has people excited for the next major world sporting event. The 2028 Olympics, which will be held in Los Angeles, will be extremely popular.

The NBA's biggest stars will want to represent their country in the place where they make a living, so making these Olympic Games will be as hotly contested as any we've seen previously.

Kurt Helin of NBC Sports spoke with NBA scouts, executives, media members, and even former USA members to try to predict the 2028 Olympic team.

In what might be a little bit of a surprise, not only is Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg expected to be on the team, Helin has him listed as a lock, along with Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, and Bam Adebayo.

Apr 12, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) speaks to the crowd before the game against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"When I posed a roster question to one former Team USA member, he said, 'Cooper Flagg starts' before I finished the sentence. He’s probably right," Helin wrote.

Flagg is coming off a sensational rookie year, where he averaged 21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 1.2 SPG, leading the Mavericks in all categories. He joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies to lead their teams in points, rebounds, assists, and steals in the last 50 years, which is great company to be in.

The Mavericks haven't had someone represent the United States in the Olympics since Jason Kidd on the 2008 Redeem Team. Obviously, Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Luka Doncic (Slovenia) represented their countries, but it's been a while since someone represented the U.S.

In fact, Jason Kidd is the only player to have played for Team USA in the Olympics while being on the Mavericks. Sam Perkins was on the 1984 team after being drafted by the Mavs, but he hadn't officially played for Dallas yet.

Apr 8, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

More Proof of Cooper Flagg's Stardom

Cooper Flagg still has a long way to go in his development, but his fantastic rookie season has a lot of people believing that he's going to be in the MVP conversation before too long.

If Team USA members think he's going to start on an Olympic team after just his third season in the NBA, that would be as meteoric of a rise as we've seen.

Usually, the veterans hold down the starting spots on Team USA. For example, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, and Devin Booker were the usual starters in 2024.

Flagg is a special prospect, and the Mavericks should consider themselves extremely lucky to have him.