Conventional wisdom between fitness, NBA contract length, and age says that LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry would not make it to the 2028 Olympics in LA. In fact, James already laid his chips on the table two years ago in Paris. While Durant challenged reports of fast-tracking his retirement a few days ago, an NBA insider now confirms that Curry might follow suit.

“Steph Curry is still interested to make his 2nd Olympic appearance,” Marc J. Spears told NBA Today. “He’ll be 40 years old at the time. Look, he’s a shooter. He’s the greatest shooter of all time. Why would you not want to have him on your roster?… He’s not out, let’s just say that.”

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry are arguably the best Team USA trio this generation witnessed at the 2024 Olympics. Now that Curry is reportedly eyeing a second Olympic appearance in 2028, the fact that it’s in Los Angeles could play a role in James reconsidering his decision. Of course, a lot of that also depends on whether he is still in professional basketball two years from now.

Contractually, there’s no restriction on him after this NBA season. While there was a huge discussion about a return to his boyhood team, and with James Harden reportedly ready to even endorse a dream move of that sort, he still has two more options. The Cleveland native can stay with the Lakers by negotiating an extension with the new-ish management, or just retire. He is 41 years old.

On the other hand, despite entering the twilight of his career, there was still hope that Curry would return to Team USA. He did say that it was unlikely. However, his NBA contract runs through the 2026-27 season, and if the Golden State Warriors re-sign Steve Kerr to a new deal this summer, they might continue their win-now vision with Curry over the next 2-3 years, with Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler still around.

Hence, if the chips all fall in the direction the fans anticipate, Curry might reunite with Durant, who also expressed a strong interest in getting his fifth gold medal. With a potential veteran team-up in LA, the ‘farewell’ narrative of the Paris games gets a plot twist. There’s another question that’s looming, though.

Does Stephen Curry joining the 2028 Team USA roster make sense?

The path to 2028 will not be without physical hurdles. Curry is grappling with the realities of age and his injury-prone history, which has kept him out of the Team USA roster in the past. He currently remains sidelined through late February 2026 with patellofemoral pain syndrome, better known as runner’s knee.

Though a recent MRI revealed no structural damage, Curry’s availability for both the Warriors’ playoff push and future Olympic cycles will depend on his body’s ability to recover from these lingering bone bruises. Right now, the Dubs have been operating with extreme caution regarding their superstar’s health.

The potential 2028 roster marks a significant era of transition for USA Basketball. With Erik Spoelstra officially succeeding Kerr as the national team’s head coach through 2028, the team is expected to lean heavily on the next generation of talent. Players from the 2024 squad, like Anthony Edwards, who recently claimed the 2026 All-Star Game MVP, and two-time Olympian Bam Adebayo, are already being projected as locks for the squad.

Edwards could be joined by a core of established young stars, including Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, and Tyrese Haliburton. All names floated around for the next generation of Team USA titans.

Irrespective of a young roster, the value of Curry’s gravity and Durant‘s offense on the floor remains unmatched. That’s also because all three of them (including James) are still hogging crucial minutes on their respective teams, with their coaches dependent on them to make a playoff push. They aren’t simply stat-padding or playing to break all-time records.

As international powerhouses like France, led by a prime Victor Wembanyama, and Serbia continue to close the gap, the presence of the NBA’s leading shooter of all time could be the stabilizing experience Spoelstra needs.

The Warriors will undoubtedly try to maintain their superstar’s elite level for the next few years because they wouldn’t want their dynasty, already on the decline, to end.