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What would the Cleveland Cavaliers do in the event of a league expansion?

By Chad Porto

CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 18: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Isaac Okoro #35 of the Cleveland Cavaliers pose for a photo with their medals after winning the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 18, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 18: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Isaac Okoro #35 of the Cleveland Cavaliers pose for a photo with their medals after winning the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 18, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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What would the Cleveland Cavaliers do if the League expands?

The NBA is considering expanding from 30 teams to 32 teams, with a new franchise popping up in Las Vegas, and Seattle getting another franchise, more than likely named the SuperSonics. The league last expanded in 2004, when the NBA brought a team back to Charlotte.

Charlotte had the Hornets originally, debuting in 1988 alongside the Miami Heat, the Hornets became quite popular in the 90s behind Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, and Muggsy Bogues but in the late 90s and early 2000’s the club fell on hard times and were moved to New Orleans.

In 2004, the league decided to rectify that problem and gave the city of Charlotte a new team, the Bobcats. Michael Jordan would later purchase the club in 2009 and would rename them the Hornets after the New Orleans franchise changed its name to the Pelicans.

That was the last time the league expanded, and in doing so, the Bobcats/Hornets ended up getting an expansion draft to fill out their roster. One of the names they took was Jason Kapono, a former member of the Cavaliers. Kapono was a great three-point shooter but competed in an era where that style of play wasn’t as respected and needed as it is today.

The Cavs couldn’t protect Kapono in 2004, as they only had eight players they could protect. Everyone else was eligible to be selected. Though, once a team lost a player they could no longer lose another.

If the league expands by two teams in the same year, then the league will likely follow the same trend it did in 1995 when the Vancouver Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors were both added to the league at the same time. In that draft, no team lost more than one player, but every team did lose someone.

So what would the Cavaliers do in the event of an expansion?

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