Expansion Draft Protections

With an NBA expansion becoming more of a reality, we take a deep dive into what each team would likely do if the expansion draft were this offseason. Many factors play a role in these decisions, such as player salaries, the likelihood of retaining undrafted players, and more.

Atlanta Hawks

Jalen Johnson
Dyson Daniels
Jonothan Kuminga
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Onyeka Okongwu
Zaccharie Risacher
Asa Newell
Corey Kispert

The choices are rather easy here. The birth of Jalen Johnson being an elite two-way player in this league has completely changed the outlook of this team's future. After moving on from Trae Young, this team has gotten incredibly young and talented. The oldest player on this list is Nickeil Alexander-Walker, on an extreme team friendly deal. The last slot would be between Mouhamed Gueye and Asa Newell, but ultimately I believe the hawks should go with the younger player under team control through the 2028-2029 season.

Boston Celtics

Derrick White
Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum
Jordan Walsh
Neemias Queta
Payton Pritchard
Hugo Gonzales
Sam Hauser

Boston would be looking at a pretty easy choice for their protections. Vučević is going to be too expensive, and too old to hold onto for the long-term outlook of this team. On this list, Neemias Queta is the only player that is not under team control through the 2027-2028 season, but with his young upside and his recent growth, he is a no-brainer for Brad Stevens to hold onto.

Brooklyn Nets

Nic Claxton
Drake Powell
Danny Wolf
Ziaire Williams
Egor Demin
Day’Ron Sharpe
Ben Saraf
Nolan Traore

Brooklyn stinks. When the expansion draft does occur, whoever the Nets draft this off-season will obviously be their main guy to hold onto, but for the sake of the article, I had to come up with 8 players. You could swap some guys in and out but I have to believe they lean towards their younger talent that they just drafted in the first round of last year's draft.

Charlotte Hornets

Brandon Miller
Kon Knueppel
LaMelo Ball
Miles Bridges
Moussa Diabaté
Coby White
Ryan Kalkbrenner
Liam McNeeley

This list assumes the expansion draft is further down the line. Is Liam McNeeley someone who could blossom? A lot of questions in Charlotte still need to be answered, as it appears LaMelo may not be there for much longer, but the young core they have going could be something to look out for in a couple of years.

Chicago Bulls

Anfernee Simons
Isaac Okoro
Josh Giddey
Matas Buzelis
Colin Sexton
Jalen Smith
Noa Essengue
Tre Jones

Patrick Williams does not make the list for the Bulls. A guy who had such a promising future in Chicago and was beloved is now on a contract that is simply too much for a guy with his production. This is strictly a contract-related decision, as he is due $18,000,000 through 2028-2029 (assuming he picks up his player option). A year from now this might change and he might be producing at a higher level, but an expansion draft seems like a get out of jail free card to move on from Patrick Williams.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell
Evan Mobley
Jarrett Allen
Max Strus
Jaylon Tyson
Tyrese Proctor
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
Sam Merrill

When thinking of an expansion draft, you have to take into consideration what kind of players are being targeted. Would an expansion team really want to spend the most money on a 37-38-year-old James Harden? Absolutely not, which is why I have the Cavaliers investing in their younger guys to keep around Donovan Mitchell for the future.

Dallas Mavericks

Cooper Flagg
Daniel Gafford
Derrick Lively II
Max Christie
Naji Marshall
P.J. Washington
Kyrie Irving
Brandon Williams

Another team that will spend one of its protections on their upcoming selection in this draft. However, if it were to happen today, I feel this would be a no-brainer for them to have a core around Cooper Flagg as he continues to shine.

Denver Nuggets

Aaron Gordon
Christain Braun
Nikola Jokić
Jamal Murray
Peyton Watson
Cameron Johnson
Zeke Nnaji
Julian Strawther

The last slot is certainly a toss-up between Spencer Jones, Julian Strawther, and could even put DaRon Holmes. However, Strawther seems to be the best option of the 3 as the Nuggets continue to pursue a second championship led by Nikola Jokić.

Detroit Pistons

Ausar Thompson
Cade Cunningham
Jalen Duren
Marcus Sasser
Ron Holland
Isaiah Stewart
Daniss Jenkins
Tobias Harris*

Tobias Harris’ contract is up this upcoming off-season, and if they were able to work out a contract that is team-friendly, I believe they would still hold onto him. If that avenue does not pan out, however, I believe we would see them hold onto Paul Reed.

Golden State Warriors

Gary Payton II
Gui Santos
Jimmy Butler
Stephen Curry
Moses Moody
Brandin Podziemski
De’Anthony Melton
Will Richard

The Golden State Warriors dynasty is over. It will be interesting to see what happens with this roster moving forward, as they are relying on their older guys to carry the load, and they are just not good enough anymore. Some of these are no-brainers with Moody, Podziemski, and Santos, but the long-term outlook of this team is not appealing whatsoever.

Houston Rockets

Alperen Şengün
Amen Thompson
Clint Capela
Jabari Smith Jr.
Kevin Durant
Reed Sheppard
Tari Eason
Fred VanVleet

Obviously, assuming some of these guys get new contracts and remain on the team, this core is too good to give up on after one season of playing together. Losing VanVleet this season was a huge blow, and as we have begun to see, Thompson not being able to shoot the ball has really hurt this team late in games. VanVleet coming back is the perfect fix for their shooting at the guard position, and I see no other viable options to use a protection on.

Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton
Pascal Siakam
Ivica Zubac
Aaron Nesmith
Jarace Walker
Andrew Nembhard
Obi Toppin
Jay Huff

The outlook of this team is great. Expecting to land a top 5 pick this summer with a loaded draft class, along with all of this talent (most of which is young), this team is bound to get back to the NBA finals down the road. Obviously, one of the worst teams in the league this season, but they got better with the acquisition of Zubac at the deadline.

Los Angeles Clippers

Isaiah Jackson
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser
Cam Christie
Derrick Jones Jr.
Darius Garland
John Collins
Benedict Mathurin
Kobe Sanders

Assuming Kawhi Leonard moves on (which seems highly likely), the Clippers would most likely opt for these 8 guys. I expect complete roster turnover with this team in the future, so the team might be completely different, but this is a solid core that the Clippers can certainly build around.

Los Angeles Lakers

Austin Reaves
LeBron James
Luka Dončić
Rui Hachimura
Marcus Smart
Bronny James
Adou Thiero
Deandre Ayton

Very hard to tell with this team because of who is actually going to be on the roster by the time expansion comes. Many of these guys have expiring deals, but for the sake of this article, I am going to assume this is who they will have.

Memphis Grizzlies

GG Jackson
Cedric Coward
Jaylen Wells
Scotty Pippen Jr.
Vince Williams Jr.
Zach Edey
Cam Spencer
Santi Aldama

This is actually a team that is going to have a tough time deciding on that last spot. This is a team full of young and promising talent, but none of them are at their peaks yet so it is going to be up to the team to decide who they feel has the highest ceiling. This is also assuming that Ja Morant is traded, which has been speculated for quite a while now.

Miami Heat

Kasparas Jakučionis
Bam Adebayo
Kel’el Ware
Jaimi Jaquez Jr.
Tyler Herro
Nikola Jović
Davion Mitchell
Pelle Larson

It will be very interesting to see who is still on this team come expansion time. I believe the Heat will most likely deal Andrew Wiggins if they are able to, and these are the 8 guys they will look at protecting, many of whom still have yet to reach their ceiling.

Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo
Ryan Rollins
Kevin Porter Jr.
Kyle Kuzma
Myles Turner
Bobby Portis
Ousmane Dieng
A.J. Green

Without a doubt, this will not be the roster the Bucks have when the expansion draft is held, as many around the league are expecting Giannis to be on a different team this summer. Most of the players that will be protected will be from the compensation they get in return for them, so a giant question mark looms in Milwaukee.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards
Donte DiVincenzo
Jaden McDaniels
Julius Randle
Naz Reid
Rudy Gobert
Ayo Dosunmu
Bones Hyland

The Timberwolves have no reason to break up this core, but I could definitely see them looking to improve through the trade market. But as of today, the 8 guys they would protect are very easy to see.

New Orleans Pelicans

Herb Jones
Trey Murphy III
Yves Missi
Zion Williamson
Derik Queen
Jeremiah Fears
Saddiq Bey
Jordan Hawkins

Looking at the future of this team, it would be wise to let Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray go in an expansion draft. They are both making way too much money for their level of production, and there are plenty of young guys on the team who would be more suitable for their future. Whether this team continues to move forward with Zion as its central piece is to be seen, but these 8 guys have promising futures ahead for New Orleans.

New York Knicks

Jalen Brunson
Karl-Anthony Towns
Mikal Bridges
Mitchell Robinson
OG Anunoby
Josh Hart
Miles Mcbride
Tyler Kolek

The Knicks have a very clear core of 7 guys that would absolutely be protected no matter what. The 8th spot is up for interpretation. Kolek has shown flashes throughout the season this year, and with Brunson's injury history, it would not be a bad idea to have an extra guard on the bench.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Cason Wallace
Isaiah Joe
Isaiah Hartenstein
Nikola Topić
Alex Caruso
Chet Holmgren
Jalen Williams

Not really anything to talk about here. Undoubtedly, the best team in the league is going to keep their best guys and Topić, who recently was able to play again after a battle with testicular cancer. Hoping to see him fulfill his potential in the future.

Orlando Magic

Anthony Black
Desmond Bane
Franz Wagner
Jalen Suggs
Paolo Banchero
Tristan Da Silva
Wendell Carter Jr.
Noah Penda

Much can be said about the Orlando Magic this season, and the disappointment throughout their fanbase, but this core is very strong and should be for many years to come. The last spot is certainly a tough one, but Noah Penda is 21, under team control through the 2028-2029 season, and is the cheapest option of the remaining players to choose from. Jonathan Isaac makes too much money for the level at which he’s playing, so it basically came down to Jase Richardson and Noah Penda.

Philadelphia 76ers

Adem Bona
Quentin Grimes
VJ Edgecombe
Dominick Barlow
Justin Edwards
Jabari Walker
Johni Broome
Tyrese Maxey

In the year 2025, Joel Embiid would not be a protection play for the 76ers. His looming injury history and his contract, which will increase year by year and eventually reach $67,396,000 by 2028, would be a blessing for the entire city for someone to take him off their hands. While it is highly unlikely anybody would take him in an expansion, the 76ers should look to stay younger and healthier when they are protecting their players.

Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker
Jalen green
Ryan Dunn
Mark Williams
Grayson Allen
Collin Gillespie
Khaman Maluach
Dillon Brooks

The Suns would actually have some decisions to make. For me, I left off Oso Ighodaro and Royce O’Neale, who are both good players for Phoenix. My main concern is that this team is getting older quicker, but may look to rebuild. That is why I believe they would hold onto the players that hold the most value in the trade market.

Portland Trail Blazers

Deni Avdija
Donovan Clingan
Jerami Grant
Shaedon Sharpe
Toumani Camara
Scoot Henderson
Yang Hansen
Sidy Cissoko

The future is looking pretty bright in Portland. Deni Avdija’s leap this year has been a great sign for Blazers fans. There is a young core that has been established with a lot of the guys named above, also with a good mix of veterans. Damian Lillard will eventually return to this team. How good he will be is a major question mark.

Sacramento Kings

Devin Carter
Keegan Murray
Domantas Sabonis
Nique Clifford
Maxime Raynaud
Malik Monk

Look away, Sacramento fans. This team has been absolutely atrocious all season, and the future is not looking bright. There are a few emerging pieces, but with all the money tied up in the trio of Sabonis, LaVine, and DeRozan, the Kings would get a gift from god to get off one of those contracts in an expansion draft. A team covered in awful contracts, aging stars, and no real future needs a good lottery draw to entice fans to watch.

San Antonio Spurs

Devin Vassell
Stephon Castle
Victor Wembanyama
Keldon Johnson
Carter Bryant
Dylan Harper
De’Aaron Fox
Julian Champagnie

While I love Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet for this team, the Spurs should look to keep this young core intact. The oldest player on that list is De’Aaron Fox, who is only 28. There is no way you move on from any of the guys named. Keep the young, promising guys together, and build a potential dynasty in the future.

Toronto Raptors

Brandon Ingram
Gradey Dick
Immanuel Quickley
RJ Barrett
Scottie Barnes
Jakob Poeltl
Collin Murray-Boyles
Ja’Kobe Walter

The Raptors would protect these eight because they give the team the best mix of star power, youth, scoring, and long-term upside. The Toronto Raptors would build around Scottie Barnes as the franchise centerpiece, while Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl give them proven NBA production and lineup stability right now. Gradey Dick, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Ja'Kobe Walter are the kinds of young players teams do not want to lose in an expansion draft because of their age, development potential, and future value.

Utah Jazz

Ace Bailey
Keyonte George
Walker Kessler
Lauri Markkanen
Isaiah Collier
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Brice Sensabaugh
Cody Williams

Pretty simple here. These are their core 8 guys who are producing the most, and the other options are older and at the tail end of their careers.

Washington Wizards

Alex Sarr
Bilal Coulibaly
Bub Carrington
Kyshawn George
Tre Johnson
Will Riley
Anthony Davis
Trae Young

Washington has a promising future, with a young core and the pairing of Anthony Davis and Trae Young. We have not been able to see what this team can look like due to the injuries to both Davis and Young. Will be a very fun league pass team to watch.