Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker part of emerging Team USA core for Paris Games: Sources

As USA Basketball officials work to piece together the final roster of 12 NBA stars headed to the Paris Olympics this summer, a picture is beginning to emerge of who will be on the team. In USA Basketball’s recent discussions with stakeholders, Boston Celtics star guard, Olympic gold medalist and NBA champion Jrue Holiday, and Phoenix Suns All-NBA guard and Olympic gold winner Devin Booker are mentioned along with Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum as the expected core of the team barring injury, multiple NBA sources and sources close to the American team told The Athletic. In addition to the seven bona fide heavyweights listed above, budding superstars Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, two members of the USA’s 2023 World Cup team, are under strong consideration for the Paris Games, those same sources said. Team USA, the four-time-defending Olympic gold medalist in men’s basketball, has a target date of sometime in the early rounds of the NBA playoffs to announce its Paris roster, which means late April or May. GO DEEPER The Lille Olympics: How badminton bumped NBA, WNBA stars from Paris' first week USA officials — led by managing director Grant Hill and Sean Ford, who oversees day-to-day operations for the men’s national team, and coach Steve Kerr — are still counting on Embiid, who underwent surgery to repair a meniscus tear earlier this month but could return to the 76ers’ lineup before the end of the regular season.