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

[Exstatic]

The only thing that I know should happen if they expand and add Seattle is the Spurs should be moved to the eastern conference

No. It makes much more sense for one of Minny, Memphis, or New Orleans to move. They’re all East of us, and on the Mississippi River.

 

[LeBowen]

Timberwolves should get moved, they're not even close to any other Western team.

As for the expansion draft, I don't think it happens before 2028.
If the expansion gets approved this summer, it will take at least a couple of years to get those teams up and running.

 

[Seventyniner]

Nice visualization, though the Lakers and Nets team names got covered up by the Clippers and Knicks.

Minnesota absolutely should be the team moved to the East.
Divisions would be
Wolves/Bucks/Bulls/Pacers
Pistons/Cavs/Raptors/one of the 5 northeast teams (Celtics/Knicks/Nets/Sixers/Wizards)
Other 4 northeast teams
Hornets/Hawks/Magic/Heat

In the West
Spurs/Rockets/Pelicans/either Grizz or Mavs
Other of Grizz or Mavs/Thunder/Nuggets/Jazz
Blazers/Sonics/Kings/Warriors
Suns/Clippers/Lakers/Vegas

About as geographically clean as it can get.

 

[wemvp]

No. It makes much more sense for one of Minny, Memphis, or New Orleans to move. They’re all East of us, and on the Mississippi River.

It was mainly a joke based on how consistently shitty the east has been since 1999. Wemby and crew would run to the EC finals at minimum almost every year.

Also, in modern sports geography doesn't matter. The ACC in college, the Atlantic Coast Conference, has California teams in it now. It works fine. Doesn't matter.

 

[Exstatic]

It was mainly a joke based on how consistently shitty the east has been since 1999. Wemby and crew would run to the EC finals at minimum almost every year.

Also, in modern sports geography doesn't matter. The ACC in college, the Atlantic Coast Conference, has California teams in it now. It works fine. Doesn't matter.

So, then,just put Vegas in the East.

 

[Corso]

So, then,just put Vegas in the East.

Put Portland in the East just for the troll job.

 

[BatManu20]

Assuming only 8 players are protected like the last time the NBA expanded in 2004 with the Charlotte Bobcats, then the obvious 8 players to protect would be:

1. Wemby
2. Castle
3. Harper
4. Keldon
5. Champ
6. Vassell
7. Kornet
8. Bryant

You don't protect Fox in that situation because there's almost zero chance that an expansion franchise would want to pay 30+ year-old De'Aaron Fox the remaining 3-years/$174M on his contract. So you'd basically give yourself another player to protect in that situation.

Worst case scenario, they do pluck Fox for whatever reason and suddenly you have that contract off the books at a time where you just gave Wemby a Max Extension and extended/are about to extend Champagnie, Castle, and Keldon. You let Fox walk and then Harper slides right into that starting PG position in 2028. Bada bing bada boom.

Edit*: Only way I might change my opinion on this is if we ring within the next 2 years and Fox plays well while doing so. In that case, you'd let 32 year-old Kornet go unprotected.

 

[wemvp]

So, then,just put Vegas in the East.

Actuality, I've believed for a long time now they should balance the conferences. Certain teams are perennial bottom dwellers with bad ownership and poor management. Several others are in perpetual mediocrity with only occasional jumps in quality. Others are well run or league sanctioned charmed (Lakers) and are better than average the majority of the time.
For almost 30 years the EC has had way too many of the poor/mediocre organizations and the WC way too many well run orgs. They should be balanced to create better competition across the league regardless of geography.

 

[spurraider21]

Assuming only 8 players are protected like the last time the NBA expanded in 2004 with the Charlotte Bobcats, then the obvious 8 players to protect would be:

1. Wemby
2. Castle
3. Harper
4. Keldon
5. Champ
6. Vassell
7. Kornet
8. Bryant

You don't protect Fox in that situation because there's almost zero chance that an expansion franchise would want to pay 30+ year-old De'Aaron Fox the remaining 3-years/$174M remaining on his contract. So you'd basically give yourself another player to protect in that situation.

Worst case scenario, an expansion franchise does pluck Fox for whatever reason and suddenly you have that contract off the books at a time where you just gave Wemby a Max Extension and extended or are about to extend Champagnie, Castle, and Keldon. You let Fox walk and then Harper slides right into that starting PG position in 2028. Bada bing bada boom.

Edit*: Only way I might change my opinion on this is if we ring within the next 2 years and Fox plays well while doing so. In that case, you'd let 32 year-old Kornet go unprotected.

imo by 2028 you probably let one of the role players go. you dont want to let fox go for nothing unless its like a ben simmons tier situation at which point you may pay the expansion team a first round pick just for them to agree to draft him and do you a favor

expensive role players are the ones you want to be replacing with your late (or swapped) picks. if we wanted to move off Fox, we should still be able to trade him unless he is badly hurt. may not be the return we want, but it would be miles better than letting him walk

you'd like to think you can draft players to be offensive rebounding/energy guys, or capable 3/D players.

 

[LeBowen]

Kornet will be 33 in 2028, I don't think he gets protected.
We'll draft a couple more rookies and surely add a high end role player or two by then, it's too early to guesstimate anything other than Wemby/Castle/Harper being untouchable.

 

[O_V]

That draft is going to be two or three years away. I don't even know how we can talk about what players are going to be made available because the roster won't look the same.

But for the sake of discussion I would definitely leave Fox unprotected because then you can lose him to the expansion draft and you don't have to trade a guy that you signed as a free agent.

 

[OK Computer]

You make sure Tounde Yessefou and Joshua Jefferson are protected - that’s for sure.

 

[TrainOfThought5]

That draft is going to be two or three years away. I don't even know how we can talk about what players are going to be made available because the roster won't look the same.

But for the sake of discussion I would definitely leave Fox unprotected because then you can lose him to the expansion draft and you don't have to trade a guy that you signed as a free agent.

I’m actually against leaving Fox out there because I’d rather trade him for Assets or star player/picks

 

[O_V]

I’m actually against leaving Fox out there because I’d rather trade him for Assets or star player/picks

Yeah, so would I, but I've been on record saying that trading him would look bad just because he's a guy who really wanted to come to San Antonio. Letting him go for a team that's willing to take on his contract is a happy divorce. We'll see how much he adapts to a winning playstyle before it's time to decide.

 

[TrainOfThought5]

Yeah, so would I, but I've been on record saying that trading him would look bad just because he's a guy who really wanted to come to San Antonio. Letting him go for a team that's willing to take on his contract is a happy divorce. We'll see how much he adapts to a winning playstyle before it's time to decide.

I think a lot of minds will change when the playoffs come. We haven’t seen the best of Fox yet.

 

[O_V]

I think a lot of minds will change when the playoffs come. We haven’t seen the best of Fox yet.

I 100% agree and I think he could be really really good once he figures it out. He seems like a really good kid. He seems like he really wants to win and he wants to be with the Spurs. Nothing would make me happier than for him to cement his legacy with his team.

Really.

 

[Mal]

Expansion draft is happening after next season ? Spurs have 3x SPRs in 2028 and 2029. Attach them to Biyombo and make those team select him

 

[ambchang]

How crazy would it be to trade away all the unprotected players for picks and cash considerations before the expansion draft, or set all of their contracts to end before the draft so no one would select them. I’m sure the rules are in place to avoid situations like that.