Expansion Draft NBA: How a New Franchise is Built | Dunkest
Key Rules of the Expansion Draft
New franchises can “pick” players not protected by existing teams.Each team can protect up to eight players.Players with expiring contracts or restricted free agents cannot be protected.Only one player per team can be selected.Selected players’ contracts are transferred as-is.Expansion teams usually receive favorable NBA Draft positioning, including the chance at the first overall pick.
How to Create an NBA Franchise
What is the NBA Expansion Draft and How It Works
Player Availability: Existing teams submit a list of unprotected players.Draft Rules: The NBA sets rules determining how many players an expansion team can select from each existing franchise.Player Selection: Expansion teams take turns picking players until they meet their selection requirements or until all teams have no remaining unprotected players.Restrictions: Existing teams can protect key players, young talent, and other essential roster members.Compensation: Teams losing players may receive future draft picks or other considerations.
Timeline for the Expansion Draft
NBA approves expansion teams 1+ years before they join officially.The Expansion Draft is scheduled after the NBA Finals and before the NBA Draft.
Creating a Player List:
Teams submit a list of protected players, including contracted players, restricted free agents, and players with player/team options (excluding unrestricted free agents).Teams can protect up to 8 players but must expose at least one.Players with less than 2 years of NBA experience, first-year draftees, or those with non-trade clauses are automatically exempt.No team can lose more than one player, and selected restricted free agents become unrestricted.
Key Rules to Follow During the Expansion Draft
Each team can lose only one player from its unprotected list.After a selection, remaining players from that team are…
2026-03-17 19:42:00
