The Toronto Raptors and the rest of the NBA are bracing for possible expansion for the 2028-29 season.
Owners will vote soon to approve the expansion plans to 32 teams, where the cities of Seattle and Las Vegas are viewed as the top candidates. The Seattle SuperSonics have been clamouring to re-enter the league ever since they relocated to become the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, while Las Vegas has boomed as a sports city with exponential growth over the last several years.
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Here are three ways where the Raptors will be affected by possible expansion in a few years:
Raptors Will Need to Participate in Expansion Draft
Toronto Raptors guard Scottie Barnes passes the ball past Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Once expansion comes into effect, the Raptors will have to protect eight players from possible selection in an expansion draft. The last time the franchise did this was back in 2004 when the Charlotte Bobcats became the 30th franchise in the league.
It would only be the second time in Raptors history that an expansion draft would take place, so it would be interesting to see how they end up tackling it.
More Competition in Free Agency
Both Seattle and Las Vegas are attractive free agency destinations for different reasons. Seattle is one of the best basketball cities in the United States, and several NBA players call it home.
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However, the idea of playing in Las Vegas could be something very attractive to players around the league. There also is a possibility that LeBron James could become an owner of the new Las Vegas franchise, and getting a chance to play for one of the icons of the game is definitely something people are not gonna pass up.
One Team Moves to the East
If Seattle and Las Vegas are approved as expansion cities, it will mean a Western Conference franchise will have to move over to the East. There are three candidates for this move. The New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, and Minnesota Timberwolves are the three eastern-most teams in the Western Conference.
The Grizzlies could move, but it doesn’t appear too likely. While the Pelicans franchise played two seasons in the East before the Bobcats joined the league, the Wolves have been viewed as a possible candidate due to their proximity with other Eastern Conference squads, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons and Raptors.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/raptors/onsi as Three Ways Raptors Will Be Affected by NBA Expansion.