If the NBA Had an Expansion Draft This Year, Who Would Minnesota Protect?

NBA expansion is coming. It's not going to happen for at least a few more years, but everything is pointing towards Seattle and Las Vegas franchises bringing the league's number of teams to 32. That could be huge news for the Timberwolves if they're the team that gets chosen to move to the weaker Eastern Conference, which would make a lot of sense.

It would also trigger the NBA's first expansion draft since the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league in 2004. That would lead to some fascinating protection decisions for each of the 30 existing franchises. In previous expansion drafts, every team has been allowed to protect up to eight players who are under contract for the following season or are restricted free agents. They must leave at least one player unprotected, but they cannot lose more than one player to the expansion draft.

Again, this isn't happening for at least a couple years. But just for fun, let's imagine the expansion draft were to take place this summer. Which eight players would the Wolves protect?

The two slam dunk answers right off the bat are Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, the Timberwolves' franchise player and his dynamic sidekick. There's no sort of conversation to be had with either one. Two other players on the same timeline as Ant and Jaden are Naz Reid and newcomer Ayo Dosunmu. If we assume Dosunmu signs an extension with the Wolves prior to this hypothetical expansion draft, those would be two easy protections as well (unrestricted free agents aren't eligible to be involved).

Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and Anthony Edwards in 2024 | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

It might not be quite as cut and dry with Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle due to their age and contract, but both would almost certainly be protected as well. Even though Gobert will be 34 next year, he remains one of the best defensive players and rim deterrents in the league. (If Gobert is still with the Wolves two or three years from now when an expansion draft actually happens, this could be much more of a conversation). Randle is an All-Star caliber forward on a reasonable contract.

That leaves two spots. One would likely to go to Donte DiVincenzo, who has started every game for the Wolves this season and is only 29 years old. His shooting and playmaking and maturity makes him a nice piece to have alongside Minnesota's core.

Really, the main question is who the Wolves would choose to keep outside of their top seven players — and the answer seems pretty obvious. Rookie center Joan Beringer, who is just 19 years old, has shown enough promise in a handful of rotational minutes that he'd be an easy pick to protect after being drafted in the first round last year.

That would leave the following players unprotected:

Terrence Shannon Jr.
Jaylen Clark
Julian Phillips
Rocco Zikarsky
Johnny Juzang
Enrique Freeman

(Note: Bones Hyland and Joe Ingles are pending unrestricted free agents, so they aren't listed).

Any of the top four would be a logical candidate to be drafted by Seattle or Las Vegas, with Shannon the most likely option due to the flashes he's shown in NBA action. The Wolves wouldn't want to lose Shannon or Clark, but neither one appears to have enough of a ceiling to warrant protecting them over, say, DiVincenzo. Minnesota also doesn't have any particularly egregious veteran contracts it would want to get off of this summer.

If an expansion draft were to happen this summer, the Wolves' decisions would seem to be pretty straightforward. However, that might not be the case if and when it ends up actually happening later this decade. It's something to keep in the back of your mind over the next few years.

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