Steph Curry Out, Kon Knueppel In: Bill Simmons Has Some Ideas For Team USA In 2028

The NBA season is right around the corner, and pundits are eagerly talking about players and teams that could be making headlines over the next nine months. Bill Simmons, however, is looking way, way ahead.

On a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” the veteran analyst had a thing or two to say about the United States’ men’s basketball team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Specifically, Simmons offered thoughts on the past and the future of Team USA.

As far as Simmons is concerned, an age limit needs to be implemented when Team USA assembles its pool of players for the 2028 campaign.

“I don’t think anyone over 30 should be on the team,” Simmons told his guest, Zach Lowe, on the podcast. “Maybe even 28, but 30 would be the cutoff for me. I would want younger guys to get the experience. It would mean more to them, anyway.”

If this age limit were to be imposed, the likes of Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid would be on the outs. Aside from these blockbuster names, rotation players like Jrue Holiday and Derrick White would not make the cut as well.

So, which under-30 players would be left at this point? Devin Booker and Bam Adebayo will be turning 30 in 2028, while Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton will be 25 and 28, respectively.

While the Olympic team would likely be losing a big name or two in 2028, Simmons has someone in mind to beef up the wing position. 

“I rarely do this. I guarantee this guy is gonna actually be on the team. That’s how strongly I feel about this person: Kon Knueppel.”

This might be an even bolder take for Simmons, as Knueppel has not even played a single minute of NBA action for the veteran journalist to pick apart. Still, the 6-foot-5 forward shows plenty of promise with his scoring and athleticism, so it’s not ridiculous to envision Knueppel as an Olympian three years from now.

There are compelling storylines waiting to unfold in the 2025-26 season, and Simmons is expected to comment on every one of them. To his credit, though, he has his eyes set on the fate of Team USA in the next Olympic cycle.