All 30 NBA owners voted unanimously in moving forward with expanding the league to 32 teams. As of now, Seattle and Las Vegas are almost certainly going to be getting NBA teams, and that means an expansion draft isn't far behind.
The league hasn't expanded since 2004, making this the largest gap between adding teams in league history. Furthermore, two teams are set to join the league, not just one like when the Charlotte Bobcats came into the fold in 2004. That means the expansion draft rules might be different than they were over two decades ago.
Regardless, teams will be preparing to decide who they will protect in the case of an expansion draft and who they might have to risk losing. All signs point toward Seattle and Las Vegas-based teams joining the NBA for the 2028-29 season, meaning an expansion draft would likely come in 2028.
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to an expansion draft. Teams won't necessarily just protect their top eight players, if that is indeed again the amount of players the league decides that teams will be allowed to protect. Age, contracts, and the likelihood that expansion teams would or wouldn't select a certain player all come into play in regard to which players teams will protect.
While it is hard to predict anything multiple years down the road because of the ever-changing landscape of the NBA, it is clear that some really good players will inevitably end up exposed to the expansion draft. So, who are the best players that Seattle and Las Vegas have a realistic chance of drafting come 2028?
8. Keegan Murray
Across the NBA, most teams are either trying to contend right now or trying to put themselves in a position to contend in a couple of years. Many of the rebuilding teams have exciting young cores filled with recent high draft picks. The Sacramento Kings, however, don't have much hope for the future, despite being one of the worst teams in the league this year.
While a potential high pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, a class that is considered to be elite, will help, it seems clear that most of the Kings' roster won't still be around come 2028. The DeMar DeRozan/Zach LaVine experiment didn't work, and it is likely that both players will be gone sooner rather than later. Domantas Sabonis is younger and more talented than those two, but he has already been involved in plenty of trade rumors, too.
Keegan Murray is the one player locked up under contract past the 2028-29 season. Murray is a solid role player, but considering he will be making nearly $30 million come the expansion draft, he might be a little pricey for a Kings team that will likely be in the midst of a rebuild. While Murray's 3-and-D skill set might not be coveted by Sacramento at this point in time, an expansion team could use a low-usage, low-mistakes player.
7. Dyson Daniels
Dyson Daniels was just given a $100 million contract extension that runs through 2030 this past offseason by the Atlanta Hawks. It came on the back of a second-placed finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting. That is quite impressive for a guard, considering the best defenders in the league usually play the center position. However, his contract is already starting to look questionable for the Hawks.
As great as he is defensively, Daniels' offense leaves a lot to be desired. After shooting a respectable 34% from 3-point land last season, Daniels is down to just 15.5% from deep. His point total has fallen to 11.7 points despite the fact that he is playing 33.2 minutes per game, and his defensive metrics regressed as well. Daniels is down to 1.9 steals per game after averaging three last season.
Previously, Daniels' offensive weaknesses were masked by Trae Young's brilliance on that end, and likewise, Daniels covered for Young's defensive shortcomings. That pairing is no more, though, as Young was traded to the Washington Wizards. Young's departure might make Daniels expendable, too, especially if he doesn't bounce back from a down season where he was nearly unplayable at times. The Hawks can't play four-on-five, which is how it feels sometimes when Daniels' shot is completely broken, but his elite defense would certainly be enticing for an expansion team.
6. Jakob Poeltl
The Toronto Raptors have a lot of good, but not great, players locked up on pricey contracts. A core of Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl should make the playoffs every year in the Eastern Conference, but it seems unlikely that starting five will ever win it all.
If the team is still not contending by the time that expansion teams join the league, it will become clear that they need to hit the reset button. Barnes would be too good to give up on, but the Raptors might expose Poeltl to the expansion draft. The big man has averaged nine points and seven rebounds per game over his career.
He can score inside, protect the rim, and collect rebounds, but he isn't a very dynamic center, so it is somewhat of a surprise he is under contract for so long. Even so, there is arguably less depth at the center position league-wide than at any other position, and expansion teams will need someone to control the painted area. Poeltl could be an expansion draft target if he isn't protected by the Raptors.
5. Jarrett Allen
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have been a twin towers duo for the Cleveland Cavaliers for quite some time now. Having two elite rim-protecting bigs has made sense for the Cavaliers because they have long deployed an undersized backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. James Harden has since replaced Garland, but he isn't known for his defense, either.
The Cavaliers are going to try and win it all with their core four players, all of whom are surrounded by shooters such as Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, and Max Strus. The Cavaliers are the only second apron team right now, though, and they are one of two teams currently expected to be on the wrong side of that line come next year, too. Cleveland is going to have to get their finances in check at some point.
Plus, Mobley seems better equipped to become a full-time center than ever before. This could all lead to Allen being left unprotected come a future expansion draft.
4. Mikal Bridges
The New York Knicks are another team with an expensive-but-talented core that is locked up for years to come. Nobody would be surprised if the team led by Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby won the Eastern Conference at some point in the next few years. The Knicks have tons of defense and grit all over the roster.
If the Knicks don't appear in the NBA Finals by the time NBA expansion occurs, they may decide to break up this core. Brunson, Bridges, and Anunoby are all under contract in 2028-29. The team wouldn't risk losing Brunson, but either of the wings could end up unprotected for an expansion draft.
Bridges is a great point-of-attack defender and a forward who can knock down 3-pointers. Fans have even seen him scale up to be more of a primary creator during his days with the Brooklyn Nets. The possibility of getting more out of Bridges than fans have seen with the Knicks would be intriguing for a team in Seattle or Las Vegas.
3. Joel Embiid
Predicting anything related to Joel Embiid isn't easy. The Philadelphia 76ers star is a recent MVP winner and one of the greatest pure-scoring big men in NBA history, but he is regularly sidelined because of injuries. Embiid's lack of availability has to be frustrating for the 76ers, and at some point, the team may just give up on him.
If that became the case ahead of an expansion draft, one of the Seattle or Las Vegas franchises would certainly pounce at the idea of bringing in a recent MVP winner in as their new franchise player. Embiid might never become a regularly available and healthy player, but he'd certainly bring tons of eyes to an expansion team, and he has the talent to will them to victory single-handedly.
2. LaMelo Ball
The Charlotte Hornets have lots of talented young players. The team just hasn't been able to break out and become true threats in the Eastern Conference, though. This season, they are 39-35 and in 10th place in the standings. While there is still hope that this team will continue getting better and eventually become contenders, it is a realistic possibility that the Hornets will never truly break out.
If Charlotte isn't a team that can win it all by 2028, they will have to question if LaMelo Ball is the right player to lead them going forward. After all, many have questioned if Ball's style of play can lead to consistent winning. Ball is uber-talented as a scorer and a playmaker, but his flashy style, injury history, and lack of defense and hustle have often left something to be desired.
If he were unprotected ahead of an expansion draft, though, Ball is certainly someone who could go first overall to Seattle orLas Vegas. Ball is just 24 years old and will be about 26 come a likely 2028 expansion draft. He has great size for his position and likely has future All-Star appearances ahead of him. Plus, as one of the most popular players in the NBA, especially to the younger generation, Ball would certainly help with ticket and jersey sales for a new team.
1. De'Aaron Fox
The San Antonio Spurs' backcourt of the future consists of Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. Harper has played great as a rookie since being drafted second overall, and Castle is the reigning Rookie of the Year. That backcourt should complement Victor Wembanyama for years to come, but there is a roadblock to the guard duo reaching their potential.
De'Aaron Fox is under contract through 2030 and needs starter minutes. As of now, it makes sense to keep Fox on the roster. He is still one of the best point guards in the league and a much-needed veteran presence on a young roster. If Harper and Castle continue to develop on the trajectory they are on, the Spurs will need to find a way to move off of Fox, especially because he will be making $60 million per season in a couple of years.
San Antonio's depth “problem” could become an expansion team's reward. Fox has blazing speed, an ability to score at the rim, and a reliable jump shot. There is a good chance he will become the best player available for an expansion draft.
