USA Basketball plans to announce the 18 players who will be candidates for the Olympic team by the middle of this month, (Jerry) Colangelo said Friday.

From LeBron James to Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant to Derrick Rose, players from the 2008 Olympic champions and 2010 world champions could make up a formidable U.S. squad that should head to London as the overwhelming favorite.

“We have so much talent right now, the pool is extraordinary,” Colangelo said.

The final 12-man roster and six alternates must be submitted June 18, before the NBA Finals will be complete. But all 18 names have to be given to the U.S. Olympic Committee by the end of January to be placed in the drug program.

Colangelo said the announcement will be made by Jan. 18. He has spent the last few days reaching out to the players’ agents, and about the half the players themselves, and all of them reconfirmed their interest in playing.

via Marc Stein and the Associated Press