Which Players Would Every NBA Team Protect From an Expansion Draft?
The NBA appears to be inching closer to expansion.
During his annual address at Las Vegas Summer League, commissioner Adam Silver repeatedly said the league wants to decide on an expansion by the end of 2026. He didn't confirm it's a sure thing, but he did note that he's "optimistic about the future" of NBA basketball in Las Vegas.
Naturally, this quasi-confirmation got us thinking: If the league added two new franchises today, which players would every existing team protect ahead of the expansion draft? Bleacher Report tabbed NBA analysts Dan Favale and Grant Hughes to undertake this mission.
Since the NBA hasn't mapped out new expansion-draft protocols, Favale and Hughes followed the same rules that guided the Charlotte Bobcats' entry in 2004:
- Each team can protect up to eight players.
- Teams can only protect players who are under contract or restricted free agents. Unrestricted free agents are not eligible to be protected.
- Each team must leave at least one player unprotected.
Get it? Got it? Good. Let's dole out some expansion-draft protections.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Jalen Johnson | Dyson Daniels |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Corey Kispert |
| CJ McCollum | Jock Landale |
| Lu Dort | Devin Carter |
| Onyeka Okongwu | Buddy Hield |
| Zuby Ejiofor | Ryan Nembhard |
| Kingston Flemings | Mouhamed Gueye |
| Aaron Wiggins | Asa Newell |
| Henri Veesaar |
Everything for the Atlanta Hawks is pretty straightforward. They are trying to win and should first and foremost protect their best players.
Dyson Daniels' absence goes against that grain. Many will protect him over Zuby Ejiofor, Aaron Wiggins or Lu Dort.
Consider this an attempt to game the system.
Daniels is about to start a four-year, $100 million extension that pays him a flat $25 million per season. Since expansion teams only get to use two-thirds of the salary cap in their first year of existence, the bet is that neither one will want to dedicate nearly 23 percent of its spending power to a non-shooter who didn't exactly set the world on fire during his second taste of playoff basketball.
Leaving Mo Gueye unprotected is the second-toughest decision. He comes cheap, and his defense scales to so many different lineups. But he's going to miss the start of the season with a fractured left foot and is headed for 2027 free agency. Protecting the recently drafted and cost-controlled Ejiofor feels like a bigger priority.
—Favale
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Jayson Tatum | Paul George |
| Derrick White | Mitchell Robinson |
| Payton Pritchard | Chris Cenac Jr. |
| Neemias Queta | Sam Hauser |
| Hugo González | Luka Garza |
| Ron Harper Jr. | Mike Conley |
| Baylor Scheierman | |
| Jordan Walsh |
The suddenly cost-conscious Boston Celtics are protecting their two best players (Tatum and White) and then all of their uber-cheap rotation players. This approach aligns with their (alleged) reason for trading Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Granted, it helps that they aren't exposing themselves to much damage. No expansion team is burning almost 50 percent of its spending power on a 36-year-old Paul George. He'll end up staying in Beantown.
Letting Mitchell Robinson go unprotected is riskier, but not by much. Paying $15-plus million per year for an injury-prone big man who can't play back-to-backs or log much more than 20 minutes doesn't scream "expansion-team material."
The real-life Celtics might also consider protecting Sam Hauser over Ron Harper Jr. At the same time, they may be more inclined to quarter-off Chris Cenac Jr. if they go that route.
—Favale
Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Michael Porter Jr. | Julius Randle |
| Egor Dëmin | Terrance Mann |
| Mikel Brown Jr. | Keon Ellis |
| Day'Ron Sharpe | Nolan Traore |
| Joshua Jefferson | Ben Saraf |
| Noah Clowney | Danny Wolf |
| Josh Minott | Moe Wagner |
| Drake Powell |
Bleakness, thy name is the Brooklyn Nets.
Mike Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin are the sole no-brainer selections. You could talk yourself into Brooklyn leaving everyone else up for grabs.
Of course, decisions aren't made in that kind of a vacuum. Noah Clowney, Josh Minott and Day'Ron Sharpe are all useful and cheap. Drake Powell showed enough defensively last year to hope his offense comes around. Joshua Jefferson is a cost-controlled combo forward whom the Nets just drafted at No. 28.
Some will leave Michael Porter Jr. unprotected. Newly created franchises won't want to build around a 28-year-old secondary option in the final year of a contract that pays him $40.8 million.
Better safe than sorry. MPJ is too important as an offensive cornerstone and trade asset for Brooklyn to risk losing for nothing, particularly when the alternative is protecting someone like Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf, Keon Ellis, Julius Randle or Nolan Traoré.
—Favale
Charlotte Hornets
4 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Brandon Miller | Dennis Schröder |
| Kon Knueppel | Grant Williams |
| Naz Reid | Grayson Allen |
| Coby White | Dorian Finney-Smith |
| Moussa Diabaté | Royce O'Neale |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner | Christian Anderson |
| Liam McNeeley | Tidjane Salaün |
| Hannes Steinbach | Pat Connaughton |
| Sion James |
Apologies to Sion James, Tidjane Salaün and Christian Anderson. They received consideration for the final two spots that came down to Liam McNeeley and Moussa Diabaté.
The Diabaté situation is interesting. He will begin the year as the Charlotte Hornets' starting 5, but he's due for a raise after this season. The front office may leave him unprotected if it's worried about his next deal.
Related: That isn't much of a concern. Non-star bigs don't get paid a boatload of money these days unless the Los Angeles Lakers have cap space.
Prioritizing McNeeley over James or Salaün could be redundant. And Anderson profiles as more of a ball-handler. But McNeeley's summer-league exploits live rent-free between my ears.
Leaving Coby White up for grabs could be the move. As talented as he is, he's not a primary playmaker. Would an expansion team really use 25 percent of its allotted spending power on him? I'm skeptical. Just not skeptical enough to chance it.
—Favale
Chicago Bulls
5 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Caleb Wilson | Josh Giddey |
| Matas Buzelis | Nic Claxton |
| Noa Essengue | Isaac Okoro |
| Norman Powell | Patrick Williams |
| Jalen Smith | Rob Dillingham |
| Dailyn Swain | Zach Collins |
| Tre Jones | |
| Leonard Miller |
The Chicago Bulls are the quintessential "Do they even want to protect eight players?" team.
If any of the selected players had more than one guaranteed year valued at over $11 million left on their deal, this list would be shorter. Norman Powell is the most expensive player whom the Bulls are protecting, and he has a team option for 2027-28. He's also mission-critical to their floor-spacing.
Josh Giddey's absence will grab immediate attention and perhaps incite rage in some corners of the internet. My advice: Chill. If an expansion team wants to devote around 23 percent of its spending power on the league's 57th- to 68th-best player, go ahead and let them.
Similar logic applies to Nic Claxton. The front office that traded for him may have different thoughts. But if I'm the Bulls, floor-spacers, recent first-round picks, cheap fliers (a la Leonard Miller) and bargain-bin contracts (hello, Tre Jones!) are my protected-player currency.
—Favale
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Donovan Mitchell | Thomas Bryant |
| Evan Mobley | Nae'quan Tomlin |
| James Harden | Tyrese Proctor |
| Jarrett Allen | Craig Porter Jr. |
| Peyton Watson | Mario Hezonja |
| Sam Merrill | |
| Jaylon Tyson | |
| Meleek Thomas |
Six non-negotiables immediately board the Cleveland Cavaliers' protected-player bandwagon.
They can't even hope to imitate a contender if they leave Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen unprotected. And they just acquired Peyton Watson to complete what they hope is a legit Core Five.
Letting Jaylon Tyson billow in the wind with three years left on his rookie contract would be malpractice. Meleek Thomas scored his way into our hearts during summer league…and is also insanely cheap.
James Harden usually wouldn't be at risk of getting picked. But his salary isn't that high relative to his regular-season impact and name. Protecting him also ensures he doesn't stage a full-on mutiny if he sticks around.
Depending on the Cavaliers' desire to cut their tax bill, they could stop this list at seven players and see whether Sam Merrill gets chosen. Please let the record reflect that this would be dumb.
—Favale
Dallas Mavericks
7 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Cooper Flagg | Daniel Gafford |
| Kyrie Irving | Santi Aldama |
| Morez Johnson Jr. | Zaccahrie Risacher |
| Dereck Lively II | Caleb Martin |
| Naji Marshall | Tarik Biberovic |
| PJ Washington | Marcus Sasser |
| Max Christie | Moussa Cissé |
| Sergio de Larrea |
Cooper Flagg would be the obvious pick if the Dallas Mavericks could protect only one player, but almost every decision after that has some nuance to it.
Kyrie Irving is probably tradable for positive value and is thus keeper-worthy, but that could change quickly if he doesn't look like himself coming off last year's lost season.
The choices get particularly tricky further down the list. Santi Aldama has the kind of shooting every team covets, and the Mavs just traded for him. Daniel Gafford is probably going to start, but he winds up exposed because Dereck Lively II's persistent injury issues aren't quite enough to make Dallas forget what he did as a 19-year-old. It feels like ages ago, but Lively appeared in 21 postseason games, finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting and looked the part of a definite future starter in 2023-24.
Also notable: Former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher is now a candidate to join his third team before his rookie-scale contract runs out. One of the expansion squads would surely take a shot on him, not to mention the other vets whom Dallas is leaving unprotected in favor of younger, cost-controlled, higher-upside alternatives.
—Hughes
Denver Nuggets
8 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Nikola Jokić | Zeke Nnaji |
| Jamal Murray | DaRon Holmes II |
| Aaron Gordon | Marvin Bagley III |
| Christian Braun | Tyus Jones |
| Cam Johnson | Alpha Diallo |
| Julian Strawther | Lonnie Walker IV |
| Spencer Jones | Trevon Brazile |
| DeMar DeRozan |
The only easy call for the Denver Nuggets is making Zeke Nnaji available. With the former first-rounder's role continuing to shrink as he enters the third season of the four-year, $32 million deal that he signed in 2023, Denver might offer an expansion franchise some under-the-table sweeteners to take Nnaji off its hands.
There's probably a case for keeping DaRon Holmes II over Julian Strawther, who'll hit restricted free agency a year sooner. However, Strawther has actually featured in the Nuggets' rotation and shot 38.7 percent from deep last year. That's worth hanging onto.
Lastly, nobody should be clamoring for Aaron Gordon to be left unprotected. Though lower-body injuries limited him to just 36 games in 2025-26 as he hit his 30s, the veteran forward is still singularly important to the best version of the Nuggets.
If something more drastic happens that leads to the departure of Nikola Jokić or Jamal Murray, sure, you consider giving someone else a chance to pay Gordon nearly $104 million over the next three years. Otherwise, you hang onto him and hope he's healthy for the games that matter most.
—Hughes
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Cade Cunningham | Duncan Robinson |
| Jalen Duren | Kevin Huerter |
| Ausar Thompson | Ebuka Okorie |
| Ron Holland II | Javonte Green |
| John Collins | Gary Harris |
| Daniss Jenkins | Taurean Prince |
| Isaiah Joe | Tolu Smith III |
| Paul Reed | Chaz Lanier |
Ebuka Okorie is the only possible snub for the Detroit Pistons. I say this as someone who is deeply enamored with Javonte Green and also grew up watching Jimmy Neutron.
Unprotecting your most recent first-round pick is always iffy. Especially with the Pistons' core only getting more expensive.
Process of elimination nevertheless gets us here.
Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson are behind the velvet rope for obvious reasons. Isaiah Joe and John Collins are too important to the floor-spacing and do more on defense than Duncan Robinson.
Daniss Jenkins is the only player on this roster apart from Cunningham who can dribble and shoot. Paul Reed's importance skyrocketed the moment he outplayed Duren in the playoffs Detroit dumped Isaiah Stewart. And while Ron Holland II has no clear path to breaking out without developing a jumper, he's hardly imperfect enough to punt on.
—Favale
Golden State Warriors
10 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Stephen Curry | De'Anthony Melton |
| Jimmy Butler | Charles Bassey |
| Draymond Green | Will Richard |
| Al Horford | Gui Santos |
| Yaxel Lendeborg | Georges Niang |
| Moses Moody | Brandon Williams |
| Brandin Podziemski | Gary Payton II |
| Kristaps Porziņģis |
Draymond Green, Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and Yaxel Lendeborg all signed deals to join or remain with the Golden State Warriors this offseason, which suggests the franchise views all of them as useful in its ongoing effort to stay relevant while Stephen Curry is still around. They're not going anywhere, even if some of the older guys might otherwise be considerations.
Jimmy Butler will miss half the season recovering from last year's torn ACL, but he's too valuable as a giant expiring salary that could be used in a trade. And to hear the Dubs tell it, they're banking on him coming back and being the same lynchpin he was before the injury.
Moses Moody is probably the most interesting of Golden State's protected players. He suffered a torn patellar tendon last season that might compromise his effectiveness indefinitely. With that said, he was in the midst of averaging 12.1 points while shooting 40.1 percent from deep when he went down. Both were career-best numbers, and Moody is only entering his age-24 season while making a team-friendly $12.5 million.
Keeping him leaves De'Anthony Melton unprotected, along with fan favorites Will Richard, Gui Santos and Gary Payton II. Painful stuff.
—Hughes
Houston Rockets
11 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Kevin Durant | Clint Capela |
| Alperen Şengün | Marcus Smart |
| Amen Thompson | Bogdan Bogdanović |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | Isaiah Crawford |
| Fred VanVleet | Bruce Thornton |
| Reed Sheppard | Jae'Sean Tate |
| Tari Eason | |
| Steven Adams |
If Steven Adams continues to struggle to make it through a season healthy, keeping him over Marcus Smart could be the wrong call. The Houston Rockets brought the veteran guard aboard on a two-year, $12.4 million deal that shows they value his leadership, defense and willingness to shoot threes in the clutch.
The Rockets got a first-hand look at what he could do last postseason when Smart put up 14.7 points, 5.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds while drilling 13 of the 29 threes he attempted against them as a Los Angeles Laker in the playoffs. He had a significant role in sending Houston packing earlier than expected.
The bet here is that Adams' dominance as an offensive rebounder, which gives the Rockets' otherwise crummy half-court offense a chance to succeed when he's on the floor, matters more.
Even if he only manages to play half of the season, Adams gives Houston a dimension that no one else can. If Thompson and Sheppard both develop, Smart's role might not be as consequential as some imagine.
—Hughes
Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Tyrese Haliburton | Obi Toppin |
| Pascal Siakam | T.J. McConnell |
| Ivica Zubac | Ben Sheppard |
| Andrew Nembhard | Jay Huff |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | Quenton Jackson |
| Aaron Nesmith | Larry Nance Jr. |
| Johnny Furphy | |
| Jarace Walker |
Things get interesting for the Indiana Pacers once you move beyond the starting five of Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac.
Kelly Oubre Jr. gets the first of the remaining three spots. The depth chart needs his proven wing minutes.
Protecting Johnny Furphy could be overkill with him recovering from a torn ACL, but he showed way more two-way juice than yours truly imagined prior to his injury. Indiana is better off not leaving the two cost-controlled years on his contract to get picked off.
Jarace Walker ends up being the final inclusion. T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin both project to have bigger roles this season, but if an expansion team is willing to sponge up the multi-year balances on their deals, the Pacers can live with it.
If Indiana isn't inclined to bet on what's left of Walker's combo-forward ceiling, count me among those who will advocate for Quenton Jackson or Jay Huff in his stead.
—Favale
Los Angeles Clippers
13 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Darius Garland | Brook Lopez |
| Brandon Ingram | Kris Dunn |
| Rui Hachimura | Isaiah Jackson |
| Keaton Wagler | Gradey Dick |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | Kobe Sanders |
| Yanic Konan Niederhauser | Cameron Christie |
| Max Strus | Bradley Beal |
| Jordan Miller | Johni Broome |
| Baba Miller |
Among the young players whom the Los Angeles Clippers are making available, Kobe Sanders and Kris Dunn were the toughest to expose. Max Strus' recent arrival via trade meant both had to go.
The Clippers would keenly feel the loss of Dunn on defense, but Strus is a proven playoff contributor whose $16.7 million expiring salary also makes him a great trade chip.
When we initially ran through these, we projected the Clippers to make Bennedict Mathurin available. The deal he signed with the New Orleans Pelicans took care of that and made it easier to protect Jordan Miller, despite the young wing's torn rotator cuff.
—Hughes
Los Angeles Lakers
14 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Luka Dončić | Jarred Vanderbilt |
| Austin Reaves | Jaden Hardy |
| Walker Kessler | Kevon Looney |
| Sandro Mamukelashvili | Dalton Knecht |
| Quentin Grimes | Ziaire Williams |
| Collin Sexton | Bronny James |
| Jake LaRavia | Adou Thiero |
| Cameron Carr | Matisse Thybulle |
Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler combine to make $120 million next year and are the franchise's clear cornerstones. Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton and Cameron Carr all joined the team this offseason via free agency and the draft, which means they're all still in the honeymoon phase and won't be going anywhere for the time being.
This exercise gets interesting at Jake LaRavia, whom we're keeping at the expense of Jarred Vanderbilt, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle, Jaden Hardy, former first-rounder Dalton Knecht and recent signee Kevon Looney. Also exposed to an expansion roster: some guy whose dad used to play for the team.
The Lakers might value Vanderbilt for his salary, which is the fifth-largest on the team and is a theoretical trade chip. But he's struggled enough to put real limitations on his value and might now cost draft assets (which the Lakers don't have) to move.
If forced to swap someone in for LaRavia, Williams makes a lot of sense. He's only on a minimum deal, but he has the big-wing profile that keeps lots of players in the league for a few extra years.
—Hughes
Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Cameron Boozer | Isaiah Stewart |
| Cedric Coward | Jerami Grant |
| Zach Edey | Ty Jerome |
| Taylor Hendricks | Kris Murray |
| Scotty Pippen Jr. | D'Angelo Russell |
| Jaylen Wells | Walter Clayton Jr. |
| Quinten Post | AJ Johnson |
| Cam Spencer | Taj Gibson |
| Olivier-Maxence Prosper | |
| GG Jackson | |
| Karim Lopez |
The Memphis Grizzlies tied the NBA's all-time record by using 33 different players during the 2025-26 season, making them one of the tougher teams to pin down from a keeper perspective.
Some very good vets are exposed here, led by offseason acquisition Isaiah Stewart and guard Ty Jerome, who was immensely productive in the 15 games he played for Memphis last season. Both wind up as potential departures because the Grizzlies, a clear rebuilder, have so many young options worth holding onto. In fact, they have so many that some, like tantalizing scorer GG Jackson Jr., also wind up unprotected.
Quinten Post just signed on in restricted free agency, and he sneaks in under the wire.
The clear top five on the list—Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer—were easy enough. Beyond them, you could slot in any number of alternatives.
—Hughes
Miami Heat
16 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Bobby Portis |
| Bam Adebayo | Nikola Jović |
| Simone Fontecchio | Dru Smith |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | Myron Gardner |
| Pelle Larsson | Nick Richards |
| Davion Mitchell | Ryan Conwell |
| Klay Thompson | |
| Andrew Wiggins |
After the first two calls, the Miami Heat's protected-player card is a little too Brooklyn Nets-ian for my tastes.
They will cling to Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, because duh. They'll do the same for Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell, because both pass for three-and-D complements on this roster.
Miami will also put a "Hands Off" sticker on Tim Hardaway Jr., Klay Thompson and Simone Fontecchio, because shooting matters. Pelle Larsson will get one as well, because rumor has it ball-handling matters, too.
From there, all that's left for the Heat is to cross their fingers and hope one of the expansion teams' front offices mistakes Nikola Jović's name for Nikola Jokić.
—Favale
Milwaukee Bucks
17 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Tyler Herro | Myles Turner |
| Ryan Rollins | Kyle Kuzma |
| Kel'el Ware | Caris LeVert |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | AJ Green |
| Brayden Burries | Gary Trent Jr. |
| Nate Ament | Kevin Porter Jr. |
| Kasparas Jakučionis | Jericho Sims |
| Ousmane Dieng | Pete Nance |
| Bogoljub Marković |
Protected spots on the Milwaukee Bucks' docket run out faster than you'd think.
Brayden Burries and Nate Ament are instantly off-limits after the Bucks selected them in the 2026 draft lottery. Ryan Rollins is the closest the Bucks have to a primary building block. Kel'el Ware continues to have blue-chip-prospect sheen.
Kasparas Jakučionis was ahead of schedule as a shooter during his rookie season in Miami and has mystery-box glow as a playmaker. Milwaukee can't risk cutting bait with him when he has three years left on his rookie-scale deal.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s proximity to restricted free agency in 2027 complicates his importance. But he just finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and the Bucks don't have a ton of combo forwards.
Choosing Tyler Herro and Ousmane Dieng over AJ Green is where it gets tough. Herro may not factor into Milwaukee's long-term plans, but he's a sizable expiring contract with some semblance of trade value.
Unprotecting Dieng and keeping Green could be the right way to go. But Milwaukee has enough guards who aren't quite wings, and Dieng popped at the end of last season.
—Favale
Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Anthony Edwards | Donte DiVincenzo |
| LaMelo Ball | Jaylen Clark |
| Rudy Gobert | Trey Lyles |
| Jaden McDaniels | Bones Hyland |
| Jonathan Kuminga | Cody Williams |
| Joan Beringer | Isaiah Evans |
| Ayo Dosunmu | |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. |
Donte DiVincenzo is set to make only $12.5 million in the final year of his deal this coming season, which is a bargain rate for a quality starter and high-volume three-point shooter at the 2. Coming off an Achilles tear, though, he's going to miss the majority of the season and almost certainly won't be at full strength if he makes it back for the playoffs.
That's a wasted roster spot Minnesota can't afford given its aim to contend for a title after adding LaMelo Ball to its backcourt.
The Wolves just brought in Jonathan Kuminga on a new deal and intend to start him. That nudges Jaylen Clark, who also just inked a new deal, out the door.
—Hughes
New Orleans Pelicans
19 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Zion Williamson | Jordan Poole |
| Trey Murphy III | Jordan Hawkins |
| Jeremiah Fears | Bennedict Mathurin |
| Derik Queen | DeAndre Jordan |
| Saddiq Bey | Karlo Matkovic |
| Jeremiah Fears | Micah Peavy |
| Dejounte Murray | Micah Peavy |
| Yves Missi | Trendon Watford |
Between the weigh-in and games-played clauses in Zion Williamson's partially guaranteed contract, the downside risk isn't nearly great enough to justify making him available in an expansion draft.
It wasn't so long ago that the New Orleans Pelicans might have felt differently, but coming off 62 games played and having just two years left on his deal, Williamson is once again a positive trade asset.
Jordan Poole? Not so much.
A disastrous 2025-26 campaign makes Poole's $34 million for this upcoming season one of the worst dollars-to-production deals in the league. New Orleans would be doing backflips if an expansion team removed him from the equation.
Lastly, though it's a little strange in light of him just signing, Bennedict Mathurin doesn't land among the Pels' eight protected players. Missi would probably be the one to go if New Orleans had a change of heart, but center depth is already a problem that his departure would only make worse.
—Hughes
New York Knicks
20 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Jalen Brunson | Jose Alvarado |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Andre Drummond |
| OG Anunoby | Pacôme Dadiet |
| Mikal Bridges | Jordan Clarkson |
| Josh Hart | Tyler Kolek |
| Deuce McBride | |
| Mohamed Diawara | |
| Landry Shamet |
No fewer than six of the New York Knicks' protected spots are sewn up without even thinking. The entire starting five has to stay put, and Landry Shamet's contract is a friggin' steal for someone who was just the seventh-ish most important player to a championship team.
Deuce McBride gets added to the list as well. He could be trade bait with free agency coming up and, thus, not long for New York. But there's a difference between moving him for something or letting him play out next season and leaving in free agency and potentially losing him for nothing right now.
Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara and Tyler Kolek all vie for the final protection nod. Diawara wins out by virtue of positional scarcity and lengthier team control.
—Favale
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Jared McCain |
| Jalen Williams | Jaylin Williams |
| Chet Holmgren | Nikola Topić |
| Cason Wallace | Kenrich Williams |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | Bennett Stirtz |
| Aday Mara | Thomas Sorber |
| Ajay Mitchell | |
| Alex Caruso |
Jared McCain was a vital source of movement shooting and on-ball creation for an Oklahoma City Thunder team that always seems to need those aspects in the playoffs, but he winds up exposed for contractual reasons.
Rookie center Aday Mara was a real consideration to take McCain's place, but the Michigan product is under team control through 2029-30 before he hits restricted free agency. McCain could hit the market after 2027-28 and figures to get a significant raise.
OKC already had to jettison three rotation players to cut costs this offseason, and it doesn't project to get cheaper any time soon. Every dollar counts extra for the Thunder.
In addition to McCain, several very valuable pieces will be available for expansion teams. Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams will join him, along with three players—Bennett Stirtz, Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topić—whom OKC picked in the first round of the last three drafts.
—Hughes
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Paolo Banchero | Goga Bitadze |
| Franz Wagner | Jase Richardson |
| Desmond Bane | Jamal Cain |
| Jalen Suggs | Jevon Carter |
| Wendell Carter Jr. | Nikola Vučević |
| Anthony Black | Jonathan Isaac |
| Tristan Da Silva | |
| Noah Penda |
Edgelords will leave Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner unprotected. And look, if you give the Orlando Magic truth serum, they likely regret not negotiating harder with at least one of them before shelling out max contracts to both.
Hanging them out to dry in an expansion draft won't amount to a do-over, though. The flexibility gained by possibly losing one of them won't make up for the trade assets they mortgaged to acquire Desmond Bane.
To that end, Orlando's entire starting five gets a pass. While that group is less-than-ideally priced, it deserves more time than the 19 regular-season games it saw together last season.
Anthony Black's defense and ball-handling remains too important to the program. Maybe the Magic end up having to choose between him and Jalen Suggs (or someone else) before his next deal in 2027-28. Making that choice one year from now is better than having it prematurely made for you.
Orlando's shaky wing depth necessitates protecting Tristan Da Silva, who also happened to be legitimately good last year. The eighth and final spot comes down to Jamal Cain, Jase Richardson or Noah Penda. (Sorry, Goga Bitadze.)
Cain might be the best of the trio right now. But Penda is the youngest and has more positional versatility than Richardson. He gets the nod.
—Favale
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Tyrese Maxey | Joel Embiid |
| VJ Edgecombe | Labaron Philon Jr. |
| LeBron James | Ariel Hukporti |
| Jaylen Brown | Jabari Walker |
| Dean Wade | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope |
| Anfernee Simons | Justin Edwards |
| Dominick Barlow | |
| Adem Bona |
Tossing Joel Embiid into the unprotected ranks is more complicated than it seems.
Sure, with three years and $187.9 million remaining on his current deal, he is on perhaps the league's worst contract. The Philadelphia 76ers would love to get that money off their books.
But the front office must weigh the emotional impact of leaving him unprotected. It'd be one thing if he was guaranteed to be drafted. Given his injury history and the fact he makes up over 52 percent of an expansion squad's spending power, he probably won't get taken.
Philly should leave him unprotected anyway. General manager Mike Gansey can spin it as the Sixers playing the odds and actually roping off nine players.
Once the Embiid decision is made, the rest is cut-and-dried. As the No. 22 pick in this past June's draft, perhaps Labaron Philon Jr. has a case over Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Adem Bona or Dominick Barlow. It won't be a particularly strong one.
Acquiring LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in the same offseason dictates the Sixers invest everything they have in the here and now. Barlow, Bona, Simons and Wade are way more important to next year's hopes than Philon projects to be.
—Favale
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Devin Booker | Jalen Green |
| Miles Bridges | Luke Kennard |
| Dillon Brooks | Haywood Highsmith |
| Collin Gillespie | Koa Peat |
| Jordan Goodwin | Ryan Dunn |
| Oso Ighodaro | Jamaree Bouyea |
| Khaman Maluach | Rasheer Fleming |
| Mark Williams |
If I'm in charge, I think long and hard about making Devin Booker available. He isn't going to produce at a level commensurate with his average annual value of $61 million through 2028-29 (plus a $69.4 million player option in 2029-30) as he enters his 30s.
Realistically, the Phoenix Suns won't risk the PR hit of exposing Booker. It's also fair to argue they might be able to get positive value for him in a trade before his contract runs out.
Jalen Green is the biggest name left among the players whom Phoenix isn't protecting. His empty scoring doesn't justify the $36.1 million per year he'll collect through 2027-28, and that was true before he struggled to stay on the floor last season.
Reasonable minds can disagree about choosing to protect Ighodaro (the third center whom Phoenix is keeping) over Rasheer Fleming, Ryan Dunn and recent signee Luke Kennard.
—Hughes
Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Deni Avdija | Ja Morant |
| Donovan Clingan | Yang Hansen |
| Jrue Holiday | Micah Potter |
| Damian Lillard | Vít Krejčí |
| Toumani Camara | Sidy Cissoko |
| Scoot Henderson | Branden Carlson |
| Shaedon Sharpe | |
| Robert Williams III |
Ja Morant is the easy guy to make available, both because of his substantial downside risk and the low price the Portland Trail Blazers paid to acquire him. The Blazers probably would have just wiped Jerami Grant from their books if the only added cost was doing the same with Kris Murray.
At best, Morant is a slightly negative asset. Allowing another team to make him their problem feels logical, particularly given the glut of guards already on Portland's roster—four of which it's protecting.
A year ago at this time, all the Yang Hansen hype would have made exposing him unthinkable. But he looks nowhere near ready to contribute and may not be able to his the main flaws—poor foot speed and a lack of defensive oomph—through hard work. Plus, it's too tough to make a case that the Blazers would choose to make anyone on their protected list available before him.
—Hughes
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Domantas Sabonis | Zach LaVine |
| Darius Acuff Jr. | Malik Monk |
| Keegan Murray | Alex Karaban |
| Maxime Raynaud | Daequon Plowden |
| De'Andre Hunter | Emanuel Sharp |
| Precious Achiuwa | |
| Dylan Cardwell | |
| Nique Clifford |
The Sacramento Kings haven't yet found a positive-value trade for Domantas Sabonis after at least a year of at least mildly considering proposals. That means he could credibly be included in the unprotected group. Would it really be the worst thing to scrub his remaining two years and $94 million from the books?
Realistically, exposing Sabonis would be shortsighted. He could boost his value by staying healthier this season and getting closer to the end of his contract.
If the Kings were to take a nuclear step, Sabonis would join Zach Lavine and his expiring $49 million salary.
De'Andre Hunter is another tricky potential keeper. With only one year on his deal, he could at least be used to take back a longer-term bad salary with a pick attached. So he gets to stay over Malik Monk and his remaining $42 million.
—Hughes
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Victor Wembanyama | De'Aaron Fox |
| Stephon Castle | Luke Kornet |
| Dylan Harper | Harrison Barnes |
| Tobias Harris | Jayden Quaintance |
| Julian Champagnie | Tarris Reed Jr. |
| Devin Vassell | Jordan McLaughlin |
| Keldon Johnson | |
| Carter Bryant |
De'Aaron Fox is one of the most conspicuous omissions from any team's keeper list. He's starting the first season of the four-year, $221.7 million extension that seemed to be agreed upon the moment that the San Antonio Spurs brought him in via trade in 2025.
An All-Star last year and about to be compensated as if he's the second-best player on a Finals team, his availability might seem shocking. But if you're the Spurs, aren't you at least considering removing his money from your books and using it to sign a player at a less crowded position?
Dylan Harper is a future superstar, and Stephon Castle belongs in the starting lineup next to him. While they're both on their rookie-scale deals, the Spurs have a golden opportunity to spend big on someone other than Victor Wembanyama—and they're currently doing so on their third-best guard. Fox is not going to age well, and he's already showing up on plenty of "worst contract in the league" lists.
San Antonio could get a badly needed do-over if an expansion team snagged him.
—Hughes
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Kawhi Leonard | Jakob Poeltl |
| Scottie Barnes | Allen Graves |
| Collin Murray-Boyles | Kyle Anderson |
| RJ Barrett | Trayce Jackson-Davis |
| Immanuel Quickley | Alijah Martin |
| Ja'Kobe Walter | |
| Jamal Shead | |
| Jamison Battle |
Knowing the Toronto Raptors, they are more likely to extend Jakob Poeltl than leave him unprotected in an expansion draft. Fortunately, he's not extension eligible, so we're in the clear.
Any quibbles with Toronto's eight selections will be lower-level.
Scottie Barnes, Kawhi Leonard and Collin Murray-Boyles are expansion draft no-gos. The same should be said for Ja'Kobe Walter, who is currently the Raptors' only three-and-D wing (non-Kawhi division).
There will be those who want the three years and $97.5 million left on Immanuel Quickley's contract off the books. They're free to keep kidding themselves. Toronto still needs IQ's on- and off-ball gravity, and his salary will never account for 20 percent of the cap again.
Jump-shot limitations and all, Jamal Shead's on-ball defense has to stay north of the border. Pleas can be made on Allen Graves' behalf, but Jamison Battle's outside stroke brings more utility to a roster that continues to lack reliable marksmen.
—Favale
Utah Jazz
29 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| Lauri Markkanen | Josh Green |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | Jaxson Hayes |
| Ace Bailey | Svi Mykhailiuk |
| Darryn Peterson | Mo Bamba |
| Keyonte George | Kyle Filipowski |
| Jusuf Nurkić | Isaiah Collier |
| Josh Okogie | |
| Brice Sensabaugh |
Quite a mixed bag here for the Utah Jazz, who hang onto two high-priced stars, a soon-to-be-extended Keyonte George, two recent lottery picks and some relatively inexpensive vets.
Isaiah Collier might have made sense to keep if Utah hadn't hit the gas with the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade last season, a move that had plenty to do with George also profiling as an All-Star talent. Collier hasn't shown enough to merit being protected, but he would be worth looking at from an expansion team's perspective.
If you believe any of his stat-stuffing work during stretches of Utah's non-competitive pre-JJJ run could translate to more meaningful games, perhaps Kyle Filipowski would be worth keeping around. But the frontcourt has its top two options, and both of them are paid huge salaries. Flip's defensive issues and suspect production don't justify a keeper spot.
—Hughes
Washington Wizards
30 of 30
| Protected | Unprotected |
| AJ Dybantsa | Trae Young |
| Anthony Davis | Deandre Ayton |
| Alex Sarr | Tre Mann |
| Tre Johnson | Khris Middleton |
| Justin Champagnie | Bub Carrington |
| Bilal Coulilbaly | Tristan Vukčević |
| Kyshawn George | |
| Will Riley |
Trae Young's absence is calculated. The Washington Wizards seem to want him, but with a four-year, $212.8 million deal in his back pocket, they're the only ones.
Unprotecting him is Washington having its (curiously flavored) cake and eating it, too. If this strategy proves wrong, well, the Wizards front office can thank me later.
Washington could follow the same course with Anthony Davis. Even with his higher salary and injury history, though, he's viewed more favorably around the league. The Wizards should be able to get something for him if they don't want to keep him long-term.
AJ Dybantsa, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Will Riley are protected-player locks. With two years and under $6 million remaining on his contract, Justin Champagnie should be, too.
Tre Johnson is among the few players on this roster who's already an above-average outside shooter. He gets to stay even if Washington wasn't just one year removed from using a top-six pick on him.
This leaves Bub Carrington out in the cold. The issues should end there. Anyone campaigning for Deandre Ayton, Khris Middleton or Tre Mann to get one of these spots has an unhealthy obsession with 11th-place aspirations, much like the Wizards.
—Favale
Dan Favale and Grant Hughes are NBA Analysts for Bleacher Report. Follow them on Bluesky, and subscribe to their podcast, Hardwood Knocks.
.jpg?w=2560 "Court Documents: Tiger Plans to Change Plea in DUI Case (AP)")
.jpg?w=2560 "Key info to help your fantasy draft")
.jpg?w=2560 "Grading WWE NXT 🔠")
