Welcome to Glass Slipper! It would be objectively hilarious if the Yankees lose in the playoffs and then let Juan Soto walk in free agency; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

I fully realize how foolish it is to start discussing the 2028 Olympics this far in advance. But can you blame me for being excited after what we just watched? The American men escaped Paris with a gold medal, but that tournament should have woken everyone up to reality. The international gap is closing fast.

Allow me to be very clear here; this exercise is not about who I think will be invited to the LA Games. I have no idea what’s going to happen. It’s who I think should be invited. Let’s get started.

Not Done Yet

1. Kevin Durant

2. Steph Curry

3. LeBron James

I understand. This may feel a bit irrational. Durant will be 39, Curry will be 40, and LeBron will be… sheesh. 43. A lot of people think that this was the last ride for all three of these guys. But this tweet from Kevin Garnett during the first showcase game against Canada really altered my perspective on things.

Is he wrong? LeBron probably won’t even be playing in the NBA anymore by 2028. But the passing vision that picked apart Serbia isn’t going anywhere. The brute strength and defensive instincts are here to stay, too. You can strip away LeBron’s speed and leaping ability and still be left with a dream connector piece. It’s the same story for Curry and Durant. Steph likely won’t be an All-NBA guy for much longer, but you’re telling me he can’t be a terrifying backup point guard? You don’t think Durant could still operate as a lethal microwave scorer off the bench? Let’s bring this trio back - as role players - for one more run.

Holdovers

4. Tyrese Haliburton

5. Devin Booker

6. Anthony Edwards

7. Jayson Tatum

8. Bam Adebayo

We won’t spend too much time here. These five dudes just won gold, and each will still be in their prime when 2028 rolls around. In fact, this might be the exact starting lineup in LA. Let’s hope Tatum doesn’t hold any grudges from these past couple of weeks. Suddenly, eight of our 12 roster spots are filled.

Big Dogs

9. Chet Holmgren

10. Evan Mobley

I’m not super thrilled to take either of these guys, but the choices run thin when we reach the interior. Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis will both be on the decline. I thought about Dereck Lively II or Jarrett Allen, but neither is versatile enough offensively. I love Jaren Jackson Jr., but I don’t exactly trust him to clean the glass in any meaningful way.

Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama are our primary international enemies, and we should be building our roster with them in mind. At the very least, Holmgren and Mobley are long and active defenders that can make life difficult for their superstar counterparts. Chet’s outside shot fits nicely with any lineup, and Mobley can serve as sort of an Anthony Davis Lite if his aggressiveness and shotmaking progress. Bam will need to play heavy minutes, but his young backups should be able to hold down the fort for short stretches. We need a ball handler and a wing to complete the team.

X-Factor

11. Tyrese Maxey

This was a brutal decision. I thought about LaMelo Ball or Trae Young, then quickly realized that I actually didn’t want to see them dribble behind their back six times and then hoist up a wild contested three. Darius Garland would be an absolutely perfect FIBA guard, but his ineffectiveness throughout this past postseason ultimately scared me away. Jalen Brunson is absolutely one of the best 12 American players in the world, but what will he look like after four more years of bumps and bruises? Besides, our current group could really use a jolt of athleticism. That leaves Morant, Donovan Mitchell, De’Aaron Fox, and Tyrese Maxey as my options.

Let’s eliminate them one by one. Mitchell - almost 32 at that point - will undoubtedly have lost some of his burst. Fox isn’t useful enough without the ball in his hands. I would love to bring Morant and perhaps help the guy fully rebuild his image with a great tournament. But I want all of my point guards to be deadly from the three-point line, and Ja doesn’t fit the bill. We’ve seen Maxey thrive in a supporting role, and he’s not the type to complain if he’s lower on the depth chart. Plus, he 23 years old and still improving; this feels like the right selection.

Last Call

12. Scottie Barnes

For the second consecutive Olympics, Jaylen Brown gets beaten out by a guy that won’t put on an obnoxious whine fest if he doesn’t get consistent minutes. Grant Hill made the right decision by taking Derrick White, and he should snub Brown again after the drama this summer. In a setting where building chemistry fast is paramount, Jaylen is not a player I want on the roster.

Barnes took a big leap on both ends this season, and I’m so interested to see where his game is at in 2028. Even if he plateaus, he gives us another big, do-it-all forward that will thrive in an international environment. Scottie grabs the last spot and edges out two of my personal favorites, Keegan Murray and Cooper Flagg.

The full team:

Guards: Tyrese Haliburton, Steph Curry, Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker, and Anthony Edwards

Wings: Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Scottie Barnes

Bigs: Bam Adebayo, Chet Holmgren, and Evan Mobley

Looks golden to me.

Pressroom

Spin It

“Saving All My Love For You” by Whitney Houston. Enjoy.