Donovan Mitchell’s immediate reaction to being overlooked as candidate to join Team USA in 2028

The 2024 Paris Olympics just wrapped up, and the U.S. men’s basketball team completed its mission by winning gold.

Team USA will look to defend its Olympic title in Los Angeles in 2028, but it will likely have to do so with a roster that looks a bit different, especially with players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry possibly being uninvolved by then.

That — and some other possible roster changes — should open the door for some new talent to join Team USA in 2028, and on Sunday, a popular account on X shared a post asking fans which players they’d like to see join the squad in 2028.

The post included photos of nine players — but Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell wasn’t featured. He took notice.

Mitchell was snubbed from Team USA’s 2024 Olympic roster even though he wanted to be a part of the squad. No one would be surprised if he admitted to filing the snub away as bulletin board material, and if he’s going to now be overlooked by the media when it comes to players that could join the 2028 squad, he could gain some even more motivation.

Mitchell has had two stellar seasons with the Cavs since coming over from the Utah Jazz, earning two All-Star nods and one All-NBA selection. He most recently averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game in the 2023-24 campaign while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from deep.

The 2028 Olympics are a long way out, so Mitchell will have a few years to prove that he belongs on Team USA’s roster. The good news for the Cavs is that many — if not all — of those years are expected to come in Cleveland.

The five-time All-Star is now under contract with the Cavs through the 2026-27 season and has a player option for the 2027-28 campaign. Cleveland successfully signed him to an extension this offseason after having to deal with an endless amount of outside noise about his future.

Now, both parties can focus on what matters: winning an NBA title. In a few years, it will be worth revisiting the Olympic conversation, as Mitchell is seemingly itching for a chance to represent his country on that stage.