The roster for Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics this summer is starting to take shape. Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green were the first pair of players to commit to the team, and now others are joining them. Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum has committed to play for the team, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, as has Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker has also committed to the team, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
This summer will serve as the first Olympic experience for Booker, Beal, Tatum and Lillard. Of the five players that have committed so far, Green is the only one with Olympic experience, as he suited up for Team USA at the Olympic Games in 2016.
Beal, Tatum, Lillard and Green are all available to play for Team USA after their respective NBA squads failed to make deep playoff runs. Beal's Wizards, Tatum's Celtics, and Lillard's Blazers all lost in the first round of the postseason, while Green's Warriors failed to qualify for the playoffs after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA's play-in tournament. Booker, on the other hand, is still in the midst of a deep playoff push, as the Suns are waiting to find out who they'll play in the Western Conference finals.
This summer, Team USA will be seeking its fourth consecutive gold medal, after taking home the gold in 2008, 2012, and 2016. The team will be led by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who is the successor to Mike Krzyzewski. Popovich previously won a bronze medal as an assistant coach under Larry Brown at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Training camp for Team USA is scheduled to begin on July 6 in Las Vegas, with the Olympics set to start on July 23 in Tokyo. The group stage of the Olympic basketball tournament will run from July 25 to Aug. 1, and the knockout stage will run from Aug. 3-7.
It will be interesting to see who else joins Booker, Tatum, Beal, Lillard and Green to represent the United States. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has already shot down the idea of playing, while Green's Warriors teammate, Steph Curry, is up in the air about playing. Both were on the 57-man preliminary roster announced back in March. The full roster for the team is expected to be set by the end of June.