Fox is probably the most obvious, Trae Young is right there but I find the Wizards a bit confusing so who knows

Honestly, I don’t think any team wants to expose any of these players in an expansion draft. Like I think Denver would love an upgrade over Jamal Murray for that money, but the best way to do that is to trade him, not let him go in the expansion draft and go to free agency..

People speculated just like this when the Bobcats expansion draft happened. Teams still protected players on “bad” deals. Most of the time it’s beneficial to keep a bad contract to use as an expiring trade piece at some point rather than just lose that player for nothing in return. Another factor is that leaving players unprotected basically tells the player they don’t want them and can sour relationships.

Joel Embiid, De’Aron Fox, Jamal Murray and Trae Young are the guys I could see being unprotected. All of them are a bit overpaid and their teams could be trying to create cap space that season. With Denver it would hinge on the free agents they could be getting and on Murray getting repeatedly injured until then.

That Trea Young contract was horrible the second they signed it

Seattle is hoping Paolo is available

Fox is the only one that their team would be willing to dump for nothing in return.

Raptors would have the opportunity to do the funniest thing

Jaylen Brown maybe? He’s a good player but that’s a hell of an overpay

Only ones I see as potentials are Trae, Bane, and maybe Fox.

For Embiid, I think he’s either too useful or retires. I think with the others, you should be able to get value back in a trade.

And even with Trae, I think he’s going to ball out for the Wiz personally.

Embiid is obviously going unprotected. In fact, I can see the Sixers extending him just to make it more palatable for extension teams.

Kawhi, Fox and Trae most certainly will be unprotected.

I think one of Lauri and JJJ will go unprotected as Utah tries to shed salary, especially with Peterson and Bailey’s extensions that will be kicking in or near.

Chet will go unprotected as OKC tries to shed salary.

One of Paolo and Franz won’t be in Orlando anymore. I don’t think either will be unprotected anyway.

LaMelo will be unprotected, after the Wolves’s gamble backfired and he keeps getting injured.

I don’t think a team would just lose that salary slot for nothing.

You guys are dumb as hell.

Joel, Fox, probably Lauri and Trae, OG, maybe BancheroEdit: not listed, but AD also. AD and Trae will depend on if the Wiz make noise or not, but Dawkins and Winger may not do either if the team is solid enough.

They’d have to inherit the contract. The player is owed that money, the league can’t just go “an expansion team wanted you so now you don’t get the money you agreed to”