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James Harden and Kevin Durant high-five on the court
James Harden and Kevin Durant have committed to playing in the Tokyo Olympics. Corey Sipkin/AP Images
  • The USA Basketball men’s roster is complete for the Tokyo Olympics

  • Twelve players have committed, including stars like Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Damian Lillard.

  • Several superstars turned down the offer, while others didn’t make the cut

  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

The Tokyo Olympics are just over a month away, and the USA Basketball men’s roster is complete.

USA Basketball had to narrow down a field of 57 players to 12 for the games. Several players committed in recent days, filling out the roster that’ll once again be considered the favorite for the gold medal.

Here’s who’s in:

  • Kevin Durant, F, Brooklyn Nets

  • James Harden, G, Brooklyn Nets

  • Damian Lillard, G, Portland Trail Blazers

  • Devin Booker, G, Phoenix Suns

  • Jayson Tatum, F, Boston Celtics

  • Bradley Beal, G, Washington Wizards

  • Khris Middleton, G/F, Milwaukee Bucks

  • Bam Adebayo, C, Miami Heat

  • Draymond Green, F/C, Golden State Warriors

  • Jrue Holiday, G, Milwaukee Bucks

  • Kevin Love, F, Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Brook Lopez, C, Milwaukee Bucks

While the roster looks strong, it is also missing some big-name players who turned down a shot at gold:

  • LeBron James, F, Los Angeles Lakers

  • Anthony Davis, F/C, Los Angeles Lakers

  • Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors

  • Kyrie Irving, G, Brooklyn Nets

  • Jimmy Butler, G/F, Miami Heat

  • Donovan Mitchell, G, Utah Jazz

  • Chris Paul, G, Phoenix Suns

And several other star players didn’t make the cut: Zion Williamson, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Trae Young, Mike Conley, Zach LaVine, Julius Randle, Jaylen Brown, and more.

There are two factors to watch: Team USA isn’t particularly big. Brook Lopez is the only 7-footer. Bam Adebayo is a full-time center but is listed at just 6-foot-9. Draymond Green can play center but is only 6-foot-7. The U.S. will be leaning on shooting and length, and rim protection could be an issue if Lopez gets played off the floor, or Adebayo gets into foul trouble.

It’s also possible that four players – Booker, Middleton, Holiday, and Lopez – play in the NBA Finals, meaning they’ll miss training camp for the Olympics. The turn-around would be incredibly tight, as Game 7 of the Finals is scheduled for July 22, one day before the games begin. Would an incomplete roster during training camp negatively affect the team?

Read the original article on Insider

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