Report: USA basketball hopes Beal will play in Olympics originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
As the Tokyo Olympics approaches and USA basketball looks to fill out its roster, they reportedly have their eyes on a star shooting guard that plays in D.C.
According to the New York Times' Marc Stein, Team USA hopes to secure a commitment from Bradley Beal to play for them later this summer. Beal has not made an official decision yet.
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USA Basketball has also reportedly secured commitments from Portland's Damian Lillard, Warriors forward Draymond Green and Celtics star Jayson Tatum to play in Tokyo.
Players like Anthony Davis and LeBron James have already opted out of playing in the Olympics, as a shortened offseason following the 2019-20 season and after the 2020-21 campaign has threatened the participation of the United States' best players.
Beal, if he were to play, would give Team USA another bonafide star to help build a gold-medal-caliber roster. He was second in the NBA in scoring last season, putting up 31.3 points per game. It was the second-straight season in which Beal averaged over 30 points per game.
USA Basketball has captured gold in three straight Olympics entering the Tokyo games. Since the Olympics allowed professional players to participate in 1992, the 2004 Olympics was the only time the U.S. did not win gold.
