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Projecting Oklahoma City’s Expansion Draft Protection List

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Demilade Adelekun | Last updated Feb 23, 2026 4:13 PM ET

There has been a lot of chatter about the NBA expanding to 32 teams. A lot of this started after Commissioner Adam Silver met with the governor of Washington, and discussions of a new team were on the timecard. The NBA is a fast-growing league, and many more major cities want to become a part of it. Also, not to mention that with the plentitude of talent at all levels of basketball, more teams will allow for more players to flourish. With this, if a new team joins, what will this mean for the rest of the league?

Projecting Oklahoma City’s Expansion Draft Protection List

How does it work?

The last team expansion took place in 2004 for the Charlotte Bobcats. If the NBA follows a similar precedent for filling the team’s roster, it’ll go as follows. All current teams in the league can protect eight players on their roster. From there, the new team can pick unprotected players from across the league. Teams can only lose a single unprotected player, but it adds a lot of drama to the entire process.

This is extremely prevalent towards the Thunder, because this expansion draft ultimately turns into which team has the best ninth option. Some teams go with the approach of protecting their nine best players, others their nine best young assets, and so on. OKC is such a deep team that they have multiple players on their bench who could start for a plethora of teams. Think about players like Josh Giddey, who left being a role player at Oklahoma City to become a first option elsewhere.

Almost every player on the OKC roster is valuable and plays a role in the title campaign. If the expansion draft does come into fruition, it’ll be a tough decision to figure out who would be sent on the chopping block.

The Untouchables

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For Oklahoma City, four protected players would be universally considered locks.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The reigning MVP is arguably the best player in the league. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the heart of the offense and the team. In no world would they give him up.

2. Jalen Williams

Jalen Williams has really broken into the scene after his all-star year last campaign. He was crucial in the playoffs with multiple big performances in the final. The Thunder would not want to get rid of his two-way impact.

3. Chet Holmgren

Arguably the most unique talent on the roster, Chet Holmgren is a true unicorn. His unique blend of skill, length, and shooting would make him a key piece to anything OKC envisions in the future.

4. Ajay Mitchell

Ajay Mitchell has been the story of the 25-26 season. He is the spark plug of the team, and perfectly fits their dribble drive offense.

Likely Protected

This next group of players is up for debate, but we believe their blend of youth, contract value, and role will have them in the Thunder’s big picture.

5. Caeson Wallace

Cason Wallace‘s blend of youth and defensive intensity matches the Thunder’s identity.

6. Aaron Wiggins

Bench scoring is at a premium for Oklahoma City. This and his cheap contract make Aaron Wiggins a must-keep.

7. Isiah Joe

Isaiah Joe is the Thunder’s most reliable shooter, who is also on a favorable contract.

8. Thomas Sober

Out with an ACL injury, Thomas Sorber has failed to get any real playing time, but drafted as an Isiah Hartenstein replacement, we believe they will keep their stock on the young big.

Close Calls

This list sees the likes of Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Lu Dort unprotected. The key factor leaving them on the chopping block is their contracts. They are spending three max contracts to keep the trio of SGA, Holmgren, and Jay Dub together; they will likely prioritize young talent over proven vets.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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