Who Would Every NBA Team Save If It Could Only Keep 1 Player?
NBA expansion isn't coming right now, but it's logical to think it will be here at some point.
You know what would come along with that? An expansion draft that would reshape rosters around the Association.
Guidelines for this unique talent grab would probably need updating—it's been more than 20 years since the league held one—but would inevitably entail teams being allotted a certain of number of keepers they could hold out of the draft.
That number might be a little over a handful (it was eight last time), but what if the league decided to get really wild and reduce it all the way to one? And what if said expansion draft wasn't some distant idea but rather a part of this offseason's remaining to-do list?
That's the topic we're out to tackle here, but identifying the one player each team would make off-limits if that's all it was allowed. This doesn't mean always picking the best player—although a lot of situations work out like that—but rather selecting the one most critical to whatever they have on hand, whether that's a win-right-now roster or a long-term rebuilder.
Atlanta Hawks: Jalen Johnson
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Since Trae Young has been involved in more trade speculation than you'd expect for a 26-year-old with four All-Star selections under his belt, it's doubtful he'd be involved in a discussion more likely to boil down to Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher.
All three would probably have supporters within the organization. Rookie of the Year runner-up Risacher has youth on his side, and Daniels just caused historic amounts of defensive disruption while earning both Most Improved Player and All-Defensive first-team honors.
Johnson just edges out the other two, though, for pairing near-star production with gobs of untapped two-way potential.
While the turbo-boosted forward's fourth season was cut short by a shoulder injury, he still joined Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Domantas Sabonis—a trio with five MVPs and 19 All-Star selections between them—as the only players to average at least 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum
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Boston's cost-cutting directives saw trade winds swirl around just about every player this summer. A few key contributors were sent packing (Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday). The Celtics received—though seemingly never made—calls on some others (Jaylen Brown and Derrick White).
Tatum's name never came up, though. At least not publicly. Now, is that because his 2025-26 season is in serious jeopardy after he ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the Eastern Conference semifinals? Maybe.
The more likely culprit, though, is a leaguewide recognition of his standing as Boston's franchise cornerstone. The 27-year-old has already served as the best player on a title team and earned All-NBA first-team honors each of the past four seasons. If he was healthy, the Celtics might be gearing up for another title run right now instead of preparing for a gap year.
Brooklyn Nets: Egor Demin
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The Nets came the closest of any team to having "no one" listed. While they're a couple of years into a rebuild now, they've yet to add a blue-chip prospect to the mix. Past draft debts denied them entry into the 2024 talent grab, and luck wasn't on their side at the 2025 lottery.
So, the spotlight winds up falling on Demin, their first of five first-round picks this summer. Taking him eighth overall may have been a reach, but that shows Brooklyn's level of belief in his abilities as a 6'9" playmaker.
It's at least an interesting archetype, but if he's the next Josh Giddey, then the franchise remains without an obvious cornerstone.
Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller
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From a business perspective, the Hornets would be foolish to let go of LaMelo Ball. He is by far their biggest draw, as his flashy style—on and off the court—is almost solely responsible for keeping the buzz alive in Buzz City.
From a basketball sense, though, Miller looks like the more promising building block. He is younger, cheaper and more durable than Ball. The durability argument shouldn't even be possible when Miller only lasted 27 games in his sophomore season due to wrist surgery, but he's still played almost as much in the past two seasons (3,307 minutes over 101 games) as Ball has in the past three (3,484 in 105).
Miller also doesn't elicit the same questions about playing a style conducive to winning like Ball does. It's certainly possible Miller's star will never shine as bright, but there also aren't the concerns with decision-making, shot-selection and defensive effort that exist with Ball.
Chicago Bulls: Matas Buzelis
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In May 2021, Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas declared: "We will not settle for mediocrity here." In the four seasons since, Chicago has posted exactly the same number of wins and losses: 164 each.
As one might expect, this roster is about as blah as an NBA roster can get, but the promise Buzelis showed down the stretch of his rookie season was enough to make him the obvious choice here.
While the 20-year-old wasn't great or even very good, he flashed intriguing two-way versatility. He's a danger in transition, a capable (if streaky) shot-maker and a disruptive defender who can switch through assignments and make plays as a weak-side helper. For a team that waited far too long to embrace a youth movement, he looks like a legitimate find.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley
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Theoretically, Cleveland is built around a core four of Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.
In reality, though, there are two tiers within the quartet. As Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor shared on the heels of the Cavs' second consecutive conference semis loss, Mobley and Mitchell are "the two untouchables."
In our theoretical expansion draft, though, that's twice as many off-limits players as the Cavaliers are allowed, so they have to cut their inner core in half.
It's really difficult not to go with Mitchell, since his stardom effectively validated their ascension, and his shot-making will play a massive part in whether their championship dreams are realized.
And yet, the younger, cheaper Mobley might still wind up as the more impactful centerpiece. If the 24-year-old can further the offensive gains he made this past season, you could be looking at the kind of two-way versatility that allows him to thrive alongside players of all styles.
Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg
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Had this exercise been held between the Luka Dončić deal and the draft lottery, there could be a fascinating debate to be had between Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II.
We'd have probably gone Davis, but it would have taken some real nitpicking and perhaps even coin-tossing to make the call.
On this side of the lottery, though, it's obviously Flagg.
Even if you're hesitant to buy his most ambitious comparisons—Andrei Kirilenko on defense with Jayson Tatum's offense!—it's clear Flagg stands out even as a No. 1 pick and holds special potential. This is one of the easiest calls to be made.
Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokić
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In a perfect world, all of the offseason chatter around Denver should have been about the necessary upgrades to what already felt like a contending-level (if top-heavy) roster.
Instead, Nuggets fans have had to ponder why team president Josh Kroenke randomly mentioned the possibility of a Jokić trade or what, if anything, should be taken from the fact that his agent is hanging with LeBron James.
These distractions aside, Jokić is the only correct answer here.
While he failed to add a fourth MVP to his collection this past season, it might have been his finest to date. In addition to averaging a triple-double for the first time (29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists), he became the first player ever to post a 32-plus player efficiency rating and at least .300 win shares per 48 minutes.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham
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While Cunningham is still getting situated among the Association's constellation of stars, the fact that he has already reached orbit means he'd be running unopposed in the Motor City.
The 23-year-old just delivered Detroit its first playoff berth since 2019 and first winning record in a decade. He had help, obviously, but his fingerprints were all over the franchise's revival. He not only paced the Pistons in points (26.1) and assists (9.1), but he was also second on the team in rebounds (6.1) and steals (1.0).
The 6'6" playmaker has already flashed cornerstone talent and might be multiple seasons away from his actual peak.
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry
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There will be a point in time during which the Dubs' world no longer orbits around Curry. That time clearly isn't now, though.
The 37-year-old might be on the back nine of his career, but his generational greatness remains evident. And transformative for this team. The Warriors were heavyweight contenders when he played (plus-5.7 net rating, would have ranked fourth overall) and postseason afterthoughts when he didn't (plus-0.0, 17th).
If he was showing clearer signs of slowing down and the young core had developed a clearly rising star, maybe there'd be some discussion worth having. Since neither of those things has happened, no further discussion is needed.
Houston Rockets: Amen Thompson
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This should be a difficult decision. And for some, maybe it is. Kevin Durant is a still-dangerous all-time great. Alperen Şengün is a 23-year-old who just spearheaded a playoff trip. Jabari Smith Jr. has an almost ideal skill set for a modern big. Tari Eason is a human adhesive. Reed Sheppard oozes offensive potential. Fred VanVleet is the ultimate tone-setter.
So, why does Thompson feel like such an obvious choice?
Well, the 22-year-old is 6'7" with arguably best-in-the-league explosiveness and a skill set that already covers all non-shooting departments. His ceiling has no cap, and his floor already features All-League defense and dynamic downhill offense.
Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton
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Just a couple years back, the Pacers were winding their way through their post-Paul George era without a clear direction or purpose. Now, they've won the eighth-most games since the start of last season and just made their first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years.
What happened to get things on track in the Circle City? The 2022 deadline deal for Haliburton, basically. They've made other changes, too, but nothing got this group going more than having the 6'5" lead guard serve as their head of the snake.
He's a point god-caliber of playmaker (career 8.8 assists against 2.1 turnovers) who can erupt as a scorer any night and thrives under the spotlight. His Achilles injury does nothing to change the fact that he's the unquestioned captain of this ship.
Los Angeles Clippers: Ivica Zubac
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This might catch a few folks off-guard, since Zubac isn't the most prominent or productive player on the Clippers. He is, after all, a no-time All-Star who happens to suit up alongside a former MVP (James Harden) and a two-time Finals MVP (Kawhi Leonard).
Zubac, though, is just stepping into his prime, while his most recognizable teammates cling to what remains of their own. Leonard usually looks great when he plays, he just doesn't play a ton anymore (37 appearances last season). Harden has done incredible work shouldering a massive offensive burden at age 35, but his quantity looks a lot better than his quality.
L.A. probably knows it's on borrowed time with the Leonard-Harden tandem, but it has already handpicked Zubac to steer this squad into the next chapter. The 28-year-old is the only player on the roster with a fully guaranteed contract for the 2027-28 season.
Los Angeles Lakers: Luka Dončić
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LeBron James' kingdom has now become Luka Land. Well, this changing of the guard actually happened as soon as L.A. landed Dončić in February, costing the club—among other assets—Anthony Davis, a.k.a. James' hand-selected sidekick.
James was going to have to hand over the baton at some point. He may have fared better in his fight with Father Time than anyone before him, but that doesn't change the fact that he will be 41 for the majority of next season. That's also the final year on his contract and quite possibly his last in the league.
L.A.'s post-LeBron roadmap looked a bit fuzzy at first, but the megadeal for Dončić changed everything. The Lakers have their new franchise face, a 26-year-old whose string of five consecutive All-NBA first-team selections was only snapped by availability issues. They'll gladly follow his lead as long as he's up for it.
Memphis Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr.
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It wasn't too long ago that Ja Morant appeared not only as Memphis' longtime centerpiece but also as a possible face of the entire league. Availability issues altered that appearance, though, and trade speculation has surrounded him for a while.
Jackson's star has never shined quite as brightly, but he has been an All-Star twice and was 2022-23's Defensive Player of the Year. He's also rooted in the team's long-term blueprint, having just inked a five-year, $240 million renegotiation-and-extension this offseason.
If you could guarantee Morant a clean bill of health and no longevity concerns, he might sit in this spot. Since you can't, it'd be easier for the Beale Street ballers to bet on Jackson's defense, spacing and support scoring carrying more long-term value.
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo
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Tyler Herro had a better, more impactful 2024-25 season than Adebayo. Herro is also younger and cheaper. If you wanted to argue he'd be the Heat's keeper, those are probably your best talking points.
They obviously aren't enough to sway us, though. Here's why.
Track record suggests Adebayo is better than he played this past season, and maybe Herro isn't quite as good as he looked. Adebayo's defense (featuring both paint protection and switch-everything versatility) is also more reliably elite than Herro's offense, which might feature too much tough-shot-making to be consistently efficient. Herro might work better as a featured player than Adebayo, but neither is anchoring a contender, and Adebayo can more easily a complement a true No. 1.
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo
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The Bucks won't consider a life without Antetokounmpo until he leaves them no other choice. And while there are constant rumblings about his potential exit, nothing has brewed on that front yet.
For all of the waves created when he offered only a half-hearted "probably" endorsement of staying with the Bucks earlier this offseason, he also made a point to say, "I love Milwaukee." The "probably" clip filled the aggregation machine, but maybe the proclamation of love was the most important part of that quote.
Either way, as long as he's content in the Badger State, the Bucks will gladly have him around. He might be five seasons removed from his last MVP win, but he's still a reasonable answer for the "best player on the planet" discussion.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards
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The Timberwolves having a championship pulse all stems from Edwards' emergence as an All-NBA talent.
He earned his first All-NBA nod in 2023-24, the same season in which Minnesota booked its second-ever appearance (and first in 20 years) in the Western Conference Finals. He made it back-to-back All-NBA selections this past season, when the Wolves added a third conference finals trip to their resume.
He has face-of-the-league charisma and prodigious talents that reach both ends of the floor. He also hasn't celebrated his 24th birthday yet. Building blocks don't get much better than this.
New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears
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If this isn't the trickiest call around the Association, it's on the short list. Even if you knew what New Orleans would prioritize with this decision—potential or established production—you still wouldn't know for certain which direction the front office would go. Probably because there isn't a perfect pick to be made.
Zion Williamson has obvious star traits and obvious availability concerns. Trey Murphy III can fit with anyone but probably can't elevate those around him. Herbert Jones has a great pay rate for a role player, but you can't build around a support piece. Considering what the Pels potentially paid to trade up for Derik Queen, maybe he should be the answer.
All of that said, Fears, this year's No. 7 pick, was the first major move made by New Orleans' new front office, so that might get him pole position for this exercise.
The Pels would probably debate between Williamson, Murphy and Fears, and questions about Williamson's durability and Murphy's ceiling would ultimately get Fears the nod.
New York Knicks: Jalen Brunson
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It's a no-brainer for the 'Bockers, who felt wholly removed from the championship chase until they added Brunson in 2022 free agency.
All they've done in three years since is rack up 148 wins and four postseason series wins—and see enough from this Brunson-led roster to believe this still isn't good enough.
"Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans," Knicks president Leon Rose explained in a statement announcing the firing of coach Tom Thibodeau.
Brunson is the primary reason why title talks are happening around New York. He's a load-bearing scorer and table-setter who also understands how to create a winning, hard-working culture within the organization.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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While the Thunder were busy winning a franchise-record 68 games, posting an NBA-record plus-12.9 point differential and celebrating the first championship of their Oklahoma City era, it was obvious they had constructed one of the best, deepest rosters this league has seen.
Also obvious was that said roster revolved around Gilgeous-Alexander, the 27-year-old MVP and scoring champion. With three All-NBA first-team selections and three 30-plus-point scoring averages to show for the past three seasons, he was clearly on a coronation path, and this may have only been the beginning.
In other words, there would be no threat of Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren swiping this spot. It's all Shai, all day.
Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero
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The Magic may have just forked over a fortune of assets to acquire Desmond Bane, but he's not in this conversation. Same goes for recent top-six picks Jalen Suggs (No. 5 in 2021) and Anthony Black (No. 6 in 2023).
Now, this is a head-to-head bout between Banchero and Franz Wagner, either of whom could go a long way toward supporting the construction of an expansion roster.
While Wagner has generally posted better advanced metrics, Banchero is an easy eye-test winner, and he arguably possesses more superstar-caliber traits.
Including the playoffs, he played 51 games this past season and tallied 30-plus points in 21 of them.
Unguardable going downhill, tricky to keep off the foul line, improving with his range and willing and able to involve his teammates, he's an offensive wrecking ball with all of the physical tools to be, at worst, an asset on defense.
Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey
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It is, objectively speaking, an absolute bummer that Joel Embiid isn't a shoo-in here. His healthy version is a modernized Hakeem Olajuwon, a two-way force who'd make annual appearances in the MVP voting.
But with Embiid having turned 31 and making just 58 appearances over the past two campaigns combined, there just isn't an argument to be made on his behalf.
Maybe this doesn't even need to be said, but Paul George also doesn't have a pulse in this discussion. He looked perfect-on-paper when Philly signed him last offseason, then looked like injuries had him aging in dog years. He was sidelined for half of the Sixers' games and sorry in the half he played. Few players have ever crashed into the worst-contract conversation so quickly.
So, yeah, Maxey is the easy choice here, and if he wound up challenged for this spot, the push might be more likely to come from a younger player like Jared McCain or VJ Edgecombe than it would from Philly's more recognizable vets.
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker
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While the Suns were resetting their roster this offseason—trading Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal—they weren't bottoming-out.
Rather, they were trying to retool around Booker, who was handed a historic two-year, $145 million extension while Phoenix was otherwise pulling back the reins.
"That's our guy," a Suns executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith. "He wants to be a forever Sun. We want that too. We're well on our way to making it happen."
In other words, it's a little more than a footnote that Booker also happens to be a by-default pick here. (Who else would even get mentioned, Jalen Green?) The Suns are all-in on Booker, and even if everything is falling apart around him, it seems like he feels the same way.
Portland Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson
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Should this be Damian Lillard's spot now he's back in the Pacific Northwest? Maybe, but a team that has posted four consecutive losing seasons probably shouldn't be building around a 35-year-old who's coming back from a ruptured Achilles, right?
It's all about the Blazers' young core and that doesn't exactly simplify things. Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara have shown the most promise so far, but they both look like high-end support pieces. Yang Hansen has fascinating, cornerstone-if-everything-breaks-right potential, but he was the 16th player taken this summer and sure felt overdrafted in the moment.
That leaves Henderson, Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe left in the running, and there isn't an obvious way to split them. Clingan has the most defensive potential and Sharpe projects as the best scorer, but Henderson, the highest-drafted of the three (No. 3 in 2023), could have the greatest impact as a shot-creating floor general who leads an entire roster.
Sacramento Kings: Keegan Murray
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Have the Kings put their win-now hopes to rest? Or are they clinging to the confusing-from-the-start belief Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine can actually form a competitive core in the Western Conference?
We'll cut Sacramento some slack and assume that if given the chance to start over, this organization would seize it.
Some within the front office might argue for trying to rebuild around Sabonis, but the 29-year-old has potentially plateaued as a regular-season producer with exploitable weaknesses come playoff time.
The better pivot, then, would be try to make this work around Murray, a disruptive and versatile 6'8" defender who doesn't have a deep creation bag but should be a consistent, reliable finisher in the right environment.
San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama
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Do we even have to explain this?
The Spurs, admittedly, have a rich collection of young talent, and De'Aaron Fox has both an All-Star selection and a Clutch Player of the Year award on his resume. But Wembanyama is on a different, generational type of trajectory.
The 7'3" centerpiece faces some long-term worries about his ability to stay upright, but that's it for the "cons" column in this discussion. As for the "pros" part, you'll see everything from best-in-the-business paint protection, unrivaled physical gifts, effortless finishing and, when he really has it rolling, long-range movement shooting.
This formula could legitimately one day add up to a GOAT case.
Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes
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Toronto's 2019 title run feels like a lifetime ago. By NBA measurements, it may as well have been.
The Raptors have managed to not only usher in a youth movement, but they've also assembled a core around new centerpiece Barnes, the No. 4 pick of the 2021 draft.
Since he's shown some really good stretches but stopped short of outright greatness, Toronto wouldn't mind if someone like Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley or RJ Barrett challenged for this spot.
Until proved otherwise, though, the Raptors are built to go as far as Barnes could take them. While he probably projects as a better Robin than Batman, his two-way playmaking is unique for someone his size (6'7", 237 lbs), and his skill set lacks notable gaps beyond distance shooting.
Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey
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Few teams arrived at the 2025 draft in more desperate need of blue-chip talent than the Jazz. That surely played a part in their willingness to gamble on Bailey, the ultimate risk-reward prospect in this class, despite his obvious hopes of heading elsewhere.
It was precisely the kind of move a rebuilding organization had to make.
Bailey has his warts as a prospect—his game is raw in most areas—but his mix of length, athleticism and shot-making seldom comes along.
If this draft class produces a scoring champion, it would be him. His upside is more interesting than anything else going in Salt Lake City.
Washington Wizards: Alex Sarr
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Sarr was the No. 2 pick in last year's draft. This isn't a no-brainer selection, which means good and not-so-good things for the Wizards.
On the plus side, they've managed to find other promising prospects. Tre Johnson already looks like a big-time shot-maker. Bilal Coulibaly is a defensive menace. Bub Carrington is a fearless scorer. Kyshawn George is an ignitable shooter with some defensive versatility. Honestly, there's too much young talent to spotlight all of it.
So, Sarr has some challengers, and the fact that he's still shining the brightest is not insignificant. That said, it's entirely uncertain what kind of offensive contributor he'll be, and he was the No. 2 pick in a draft generally regarded as one of the weakest in a while.
Stardom is by no means guaranteed (or even likely) for him, but you can at least understand why Washington would nevertheless opt to see what he'll turn into because it's so early in his developmental process.
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