The idea of NBA expansion has been a hot topic throughout the league for years now, with commissioner Adam Silver looking to add two more teams. Now, the NBA is likely to vote on the issue soon, bringing the once far off idea much closer to reality.
So, we thought it would be a good time to do an exercise to see if there was to be an expansion, what the Cleveland Cavaliers would do with their roster.
In reality, an expansion draft would not occur until the summer of 2027 at the earliest, but for this exercise, we are going to operate under the fantastical assumption that the draft would happen this summer, in 2026.
In past expansion drafts, teams have been allowed to protect eight players, leaving anyone else on the roster up for grabs for the expansion team(s) building their roster. This game will exist on that basis, where the Cavaliers have to be methodical on who they select, with many different factors at play.
Firstly, the Cavaliers are trying to win now. They've built this roster for immediate contention and they can't afford to lose a key piece for nothing. Secondly, and this has more nuance to it, but Cleveland is wildly over budget in their current state.
Koby Altman's work at the trade deadline was a step in the right direction to get cheaper, but it would be in the Cavaliers' best interest to shed some salary. Not only that, but they'd have to navigate various extension conversations that we'll get into.
Long story short, there are a few 'easy' decisions in this process, but if expansion was happening this summer, here's who we think the Cavaliers would protect.