Philadelphia 76ers loaded with potential Olympic athletes in 2020

By Christopher Kline | Aug 19, 2019

Ben Simmons | Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Jonathan Ng / Newspix / Getty Images) /

The Philadelphia 76ers have one remaining participant in the FIBA World Cup, but the 2029 Olympics could be a very different story.

One of the summer’s most intriguing subplots has been the lack of commitment to international basketball. For Team USA, countless stars have dropped out. Khris Middleton and Donovan Mitchell will lead the charge in China, rather than LeBron James and Damian Lillard. The Philadelphia 76ers‘ own Tobias Harris left the squad early in the process.

Those drop-outs haven’t been exclusive to the U.S., though. Ben Simmons withdrew from the Australian team, citing a desire to prepare for the upcoming season. Just recently, Jonah Bolden — for undisclosed personal reasons — joined him. Even Marial Shayok — the Sixers’ two-way contract recipient — declined invitation to the Canadian National Team.

Now, more than ever, athletes are planning ahead. As awareness for load management increase, fewer players are going to gamble on extra basketball during the summer. It increases the chances of injury, either in live competition or due to fatigue down the road.

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We saw first-hand the gruesome impact of Paul George‘s broken leg years ago. It took away a season of his prime. We also saw Kawhi Leonard embrace load management last season. The result was not only a championship, but a historically productive postseason.

CJ McCollum has openly admitted it. Players aren’t as willing to take the risks international basketball poses. Not for the FIBA World Cup, at least.

There’s a good chance the picture changes in 2020, however. There’s a bit more prestige associated with the Olympics, which might persuade more athletes — especially those in the U.S. — to suit up for the country.

That means the Sixers have a good chance to see more international representation a couple summers from now.

First and foremost, Tobias Harris is a rising mainstay on the USA basketball scene. He dropped out over the summer, but should remain in contention for a spot in future events — the Olympics included. He’s already a strong top-50 NBA player with room to grow.

For the Boomers, Ben Simmons has maintained his position for a while. He wants to play for Australia, even if 2019 wasn’t the best time. He now has a five-year, $170 million extension under his belt, not dissimilar to Harris. Having long-term money decreases the imminent risk.

It’s not unreasonable to expect both Simmons and Jonah Bolden to represent the Boomers in Tokyo next year. Harris will have a say in Team USA’s tryouts, while Furkan Korkmaz will continue to represent his native Turkey. There’s a good chance Marial Shayok, having an NBA season under his belt, is more open to Canada’s endeavors as well.

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The Sixers’ representation in China this summer will be scarce. And, while there’s some relief in Boban Marjanovic‘s jovial presence for Serbia, there’s also solace in the fact things might change once the Olympics come around. Different circumstances call for different results.