The time-honored August tradition of hypothetical think pieces that have no impact on the coming season are well and truly upon us.

In recent years, one such exercise has been speculation on NBA expansion and, in the case of Blazer’s Edge, discussing who the Portland Trail Blazers would protect in an expansion draft. The Blazers are in an interesting position coming out of a rebuild with a collection of players on rookie-scale deals and second contracts garnished with three guys in their 30s.

Rules of expansion drafts

The last expansion draft took place in 2004 with the introduction of the Charlotte Bobcats. Back then, each team protected up to eight players. If a franchise had fewer than eight players on its roster, it was still required to leave at least one player unprotected.

The B

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