5 Olympic basketball stars who could make it into the NBA

1. Guerson Yabusele – France

NBA Experience: Boston Celtics (2017-2019)

A first-round pick by the Celtics in 2016, Yabusele averaged 14 points in the Olympic playoffs, scoring 20 points for the U.S. in the Gold Medal Game.

The 28-year-old averages just three rebounds per game. However, his posterized dunk against LeBron James in the Finals showed that his physical prowess is on par with NBA stars.

"image" — **Yabusele performed brilliantly at the Olympics, especially in the final.**

One remaining question mark is his ability to shoot from distance. Yabusele has made 43.3 percent of his three-pointers at Real Madrid over the past three years, but the EuroLeague’s 3-point range is shorter than the NBA’s, where he shot 32 percent in two seasons with Boston.

Yabusele will join the Dallas Mavericks, who had high hopes for Grant Williams around the same time last year, but then had to let the player go before the trade deadline.

2. Bruno Caboclo – Brazil

NBA experience: Toronto Raptors (2014 – 2018), Sacramento Kings (2018), Memphis Grizzlies (2018 – 2020), Houston Rockets (2020 – 2021)

Few players have had a better record in Paris than Caboclo. He started slowly, with a zero-point performance against France and then a six-point performance against Germany, but his 33 points and 17 rebounds helped Brazil ease past Japan.

The Samba team fell short against the United States, but 30 points in 20 shots is still an impressive number. In the tournament, Caboclo shot 59% while averaging 17.3 PPG and 7.0 RPG.

The 28-year-old struggled with his shooting in his seven NBA seasons after being drafted in the first round by the Raptors in 2014. He has been out of the league since 2021, but it’s clear that he’s improved a lot since then. ESPN has rated Caboclo’s style of play as a good fit for the Milwaukee Bucks.

3. Josh Hawkinson – Japan

Yuki Kawamura may have stunned in Paris, but at 5’7″, he’s not exactly suited to the NBA. His teammate Josh Hawkinson has a different story.

Standing at 6ft 7in, Hawkinson is one of the best long-range shooters at the Olympics, hitting nine of his 12 attempts from beyond the three-point line against France and Brazil.

Hawkinson averaged 9.7 rebounds per game, tied with Victor Wembanyama and behind only Nikola Jokic’s league-leading 10.7.

Achieving 19.3 points per game at the Olympics, the 29-year-old could be an effective backup to Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic, who has lost his ability to shoot 3-pointers.

4. Carlik Jones – South Sudan

NBA experience: Dallas Mavericks (2021), Denver Nuggets (2022), Chicago Bulls (2022-23)

Jones played extremely well against the United States in a friendly before the Olympics in London. A triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists helped South Sudan almost shock with a loss by only 1 point.

Jones also shined in the tournament, leading South Sudan in scoring (18ppg). His 7.7 assists per game was the third-best mark at the Olympics, tied with Japan’s Yuki Kawamura.

Jones has been on the move to China since being released by the Bulls last October, but the 26-year-old’s summer performance was good enough to warrant a return. The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly looking for a backup point guard to replace Dennis Schroder.

5. Mathias Lessort – France

7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists per game – those are not outstanding numbers at the Olympics. He didn’t get much playing time when competing with Victor Wembanyama or Rudy Gobert, but he didn’t look out of place against the USA, Germany or Canada.

The 28-year-old has been efficient, making two-thirds of his shots throughout the tournament. His scoring in front of defensive specialist Jrue Holiday in the Finals showed how versatile Lessort is. The Orlando Magic, with plenty of guards but a thinner frontcourt, could be a good fit for the Frenchman.