News Expansion Draft Protection discussion - Adam Silver says NBA will make decision on expansion in 2026, cites Seattle and Las Vegas as possibilities

Protect Champ or Carter Bryant for the 8th spot?

  • Champ

    Votes: 1 5.6%

  • Carter Bryant

    Votes: 14 77.8%

  • Protect both and give up another player among (Vic, Fox, Castle, Harp, Vassell, KJ, Kornet)

    Votes: 3 16.7%
  • Total voters
    18
spursparker9

spursparker9

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https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/articl...and-las-vegas-as-possibilities-024438515.html

Expansion might really be coming soon....

Protect which 8 players?
I think it should be a consensus that the 7 players below will be protected. Only question left is Protect Champ or CB for the 8th spot?

Vic
Fox
Castle
Harper
Vassell
KJ
Kornet
-----------
Champ
CB



Players not in contract after this ongoing 2025/2026 season:
Barnes
KO
Sochan
Biyombo
Waters
Jordan Mac
 
You can also pay teams to take one of the players you don't care about, which prevents anyone else from being drafted from your team.

Teams can also take free agents to get their Bird rights, if I recall.
 
It’s like banking on the unknown with Bryant. There’s nothing guaranteed there, he’s shown flashes but nothing eye popping.

With Champagnie, you know what you’re going to get. He’s probably as good as he’s going to be. I also think you don’t only factor in talent and potential when asking this question - you also factor in costs. We know Champagnie is probably going to be cheap forever.

But I don’t think it should be between these two. While Kornet has been a revelation, I still watch him play for us and don’t think it’ll be very hard to replace him. I know this is controversial but I think the decision should be between CB and Kornet.
 
This expansion thing was already talked about, ad nauseum. The owners don’t currently seem to have an appetite for it, with the increasing revenue streams. Getting a one time expansion fee isn’t worth splitting the cash pie into 32 pieces, lowering their revenue. If the next media deal isn’t as lucrative, maybe then, but that’s years away.
 
No chance the expansion happens just like that. I'd say 2028 at the earliest.
The roster will look different by then, with some currently key role players like Kornet on a decline.
 
I do not know if Seattle has the infrastructure to host a team anytime soon, though perhaps wherever the Kraken play is suitable?

Because of this, let’s assume that 2027 or 2028 is the soonest this expansion draft would happen… I think at that point the Spurs would leave either Fox or Vassell unprotected and hope the expansion draft is a way to get off a contract that is starting to be problematic with Castle and Harper extensions kicking in.
 
Am I correct in assuming that MIN and NO move to the east if we add LV and SEA?
Might change the dynamics of both conferences a little.
And a big YES to getting off a bigger contract and leaving Fox or Vassell unprotected. By 2028, our team should look very different. I cannot imagine a scenario where Wemby, Castle and Harper are not All-Stars. We likely will have replaced one or two of the 8 proctectees in the list by then, too.
 
as long as there are scrub players still getting rotation minutes, there is no justification for expansion.

The league’s never been so talented. Awesome. But the wizards still exist so fuck off with diluting a still overly diluted talent pool.
 
Not that I would want to do this and its sort of a crazy idea but if the expansion draft happens in 2 or 3 years you could select not to protect Fox. That is only if Foxes contract is an issue going forward in 2 or 3 years due to Wemby, Castle, and Harper extensions. He would for sure get taken if not protected. I think you would only do this if Fox was not fitting well for us to the point that it might take assets to dump the contract. Plus there is always the possibility that when the time to trade Fox comes that he pulls the same shit he pulled on the Kings and demands a destination. Again, not ideal and i don't think we should do it but there may be a world where that makes some sense in a few years?
 
SpurSpike said:
Not that I would want to do this and its sort of a crazy idea but if the expansion draft happens in 2 or 3 years you could select not to protect Fox. That is only if Foxes contract is an issue going forward in 2 or 3 years due to Wemby, Castle, and Harper extensions. He would for sure get taken if not protected. I think you would only do this if Fox was not fitting well for us to the point that it might take assets to dump the contract. Plus there is always the possibility that when the time to trade Fox comes that he pulls the same shit he pulled on the Kings and demands a destination. Again, not ideal and i don't think we should do it but there may be a world where that makes some sense in a few years?
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I have a hard time seeing that happen. Listening to Fox, he was just done after they fired Brown. He had been in Dacto for 7+ years, had five coaches, one good team year, and said he was not up for a sixth coach.

Spurs have always worked well with Klutch. If they need to move him, they’ll find him a soft landing.
 
Hoopdreams11 said:
I would move Memphis
Click to expand...
Its ridiculous that Memphis is in the West if you go by a map.

Also, it just feels like Memphis, New Orelans, Atlanta, and Charlotte should be in a division together. Like an NBA version of an SEC division (if you consider CHA borders South Carolina)
 
If the league goes to 32, that's most likely 8 divisions of 4 teams each. I would guarantee each division winner a top 8 seed (only need to win one play-in game to make the playoff bracket) but no more. Something like this.

West
SAC, GS, POR, SEA
LV, PHO, LAL, LAC
UTA, DEN, OC, DAL
SA, HOU, NO, MEM

East
NY, BRO, BOS, PHI
ORL, MIA, ATL, CHA
IND, MIN, MIL, CHI
CLE, TOR, DET, WAS
 
As others mention, the fact that it won't be immediate makes this discussion moot, as contract status and player development changes the landscape radically even a few months later. Imagine this discussion 6 months ago, Sochan would have been on most lists and Keldon would not. But if this is strictly an intellectual exercise, my guess right now would be:
a) Top 4 (core, stars): Wemby, Harper, Castle, Fox
b) Long term investments: Carter Bryant. If you don't protect him, you might as well have burned a lottery pick. He's guaranteed to get picked if available.
c) Cost efficient role players: Kornet and Champagnie. They're assets at their contracts, and 100% would get taken if left unprotected.
That leaves 2 players for 1 spot:
d) Expensive non-core players: Vassell and Keldon. I don't think it's guaranteed they get picked, Keldon would be an expiring whose next term contract is not likely above the non tax payer MLE, so I don't see him as a juicy asset (they can lose him for nothing next year) and Vassell is streaky and expensive and because of that I don't think he has a huge market around the league.
So my guess is, even if counter-intuitive, you should probably roll the dice leaving Keldon or Vassell unprotected, and maybe offer a deal to one of the teams to take someone else on your roster for a second rounder or two, if you want to make sure you keep both of them on the team. It's probably doable.
 
I’d favor moving teams like Memphis or New Orleans over new teams. Talent is already dilute as it stands.

Vegas is a horrible sports city imo. Maybe some of the Vegas locals can chime in but it seems like it’s more for the away-team fan than the vegas fan.
 
CGD said:
Its ridiculous that Memphis is in the West if you go by a map.

Also, it just feels like Memphis, New Orelans, Atlanta, and Charlotte should be in a division together. Like an NBA version of an SEC division (if you consider CHA borders South Carolina)
Click to expand...
Minnesota, Milwaukee, Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans in the Big Muddy Drainage Division.
 
I thought the NBA was underwhelmed with the Cup Finals in Vegas and may even think to not only move the semifinals away from Vegas next year, but the final as well.
If that is what you think about the reception of the Basketball product in Vegas, better not start a team there
 
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