Trump has said he raised the players' detention with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the leaders' recent meeting in Beijing.
The players returned to the U.S. last week. They have been indefinitely suspended from the team.
Says Trump: "Now that the three basketball players are out of China and saved from years in jail, LaVar Ball, the father of LiAngelo, is unaccepting of what I did for his son and that shoplifting is no big deal. I should have left them in jail!"
Trump later tweeted: "Shoplifting is a very big deal in China, as it should be (5-10 years in jail), but not to father LaVar. Should have gotten his son out during my next trip to China instead. China told them why they were released. Very ungrateful!"