For the first time in over twenty years, the NBA is seriously considering expansion. The league’s Board of Governors has voted to explore adding new franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas, potentially aiming for the 2028-29 season. While there is still a long road ahead before these teams officially hit the court, imagining their possible rosters is an intriguing exercise. Using the Spotrac Expansion Draft tool, we conducted a mock draft to see how these theoretical teams—the Seattle SuperSonics and the Las Vegas Neon—might take shape.
The Rules of the Game
While the exact mechanics of a future expansion draft remain subject to change, we operated under historical precedents and current collective bargaining guidelines. Each of the 30 existing teams is permitted to protect up to eight players, with at least one player required to be left unprotected. The expansion clubs are then tasked with selecting at least 14 players from the unprotected pool. Notably, the new teams will operate under tighter salary cap restrictions for their first two seasons compared to established franchises.
Drafting Philosophy
To simulate the process, we based our selections on current rosters, salaries, and development trajectories, acknowledging that the actual landscape will likely shift significantly by 2028. Our mock draft focused on building competitive cores while managing salary obligations—or in some cases, embracing the risk of high-priced veterans.
Key Selections
The draft highlighted different strategic approaches:
- Seattle SuperSonics: Focused heavily on defensive grit and culture-building. Early picks like Luguentz Dort and Jrue Holiday emphasize a tough, backcourt-oriented identity intended to set a competitive tone from day one.
- Las Vegas Neon: Opted for high-ceiling, high-risk assets. By selecting Zion Williamson as a cornerstone, the Neon embraced an entertainment-first strategy, looking to balance star power with seasoned veterans like Al Horford and Paul Reed to provide stability.
«Building a team around a mix of injury-prone stars, battle-tested veterans, and unproven young talent was an exercise in managing expectations and risks, much like the unpredictable nature of Las Vegas itself,» noted the drafting team.
Looking Ahead
While this exercise is purely theoretical, it underscores the complexities teams face when building from scratch. Whether it is Seattle’s commitment to defensive identity or Vegas’s "big bet" approach, the path to assembling a competitive NBA roster involves a delicate balance of financial planning, talent evaluation, and strategic risk-taking.