Kawhi Leonard has withdrawn from Team USA for the Paris Olympics to focus on preparing for the upcoming NBA season, with Derrick White replacing him.
Kawhi Leonard is withdrawing from Team USA for the Paris Olympics and will be replaced, according to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Derrick White
| Team: |
Boston Celtics |
| Position: | PG |
| Age: | 30 |
| Height: | 196 cm |
| Weight: | 91 kg |
| Birth place: | United States of America |
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White is a strong candidate to replace Leonard on Team USA, per the same report.
Shortly after the news broke, USA Basketball provided an update on Leonard:
"Kawhi has been ramping up for the Olympics over the past several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas. He felt ready to compete. However, he respects that USA Basketball and the Los Angeles Clippers determined it's in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Olympic Games in Paris."
Following that, USA Basketball also announced that White officially joined Team USA for the Paris Olympics.
Leonard impressed during Team USA training but dealt with an injury late in the season. He missed almost the entirety of the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks this year.
The 33-year-old skipped the 2023-24 season's last eight games and then four more in the playoffs due to inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.
The six-time All-Star averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game this past season. Although Leonard has never played for Team USA, he practiced with the squad before the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The Olympics, where the US has won the men's basketball tournament four straight times, will be held from July 26 to August 11 in Paris. Team USA will meet Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico in the group stage.
Team USA roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics
| Player | Team |
| Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors (NBA) |
| LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) |
| Kevin Durant | Phoenix Suns (NBA) |
| Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics (NBA) |
| Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) |
| Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns (NBA) |
| Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers (NBA) |
| Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) |
| Jrue Holiday | Boston Celtics (NBA) |
| Bam Adebayo | Miami Heat (NBA) |
| Anthony Davis | Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) |
| Derrick White | Boston Celtics (NBA) |
