All signs point to NBA expansion happening with two new franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle. If approved, there will be an expansion draft, which would require each team to protect at least eight players and leave one unprotected.
Dan Favale and Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report did a hypothetical scenario for which eight players each team would protect, including the Grizzlies. While most of the prediction was largely expected, there was still a big surprise. Let's break it down:
The Grizzlies protected the following players in this scenario: Cam Boozer, Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Taylor Hendricks, Scotty Pippen Jr., Jaylen Wells, Quinten Post, and Cam Spencer.
However, there was a surprise omission, and that's Karim Lopez. While Cam Boozer and Karim Lopez have not yet played a regular season game for the Grizzlies, it feels very odd to not protect both first-round picks, especially considering how early it is in the rebuild.
Something would have to go very wrong for Lopez to not be protected
Yes, it's true that Karim Lopez is still very raw on the offensive end. However, he is still just 19 years old, and it's clear that he has the ideal positional size and defensive upside that can make him successful in Memphis. Most of the questions surrounding his development come down to offensive creation, but Lopez showed this summer in a limited sample size that he can be an impactful NBA defender.
For the most part in this hypothetical, the Grizzlies protected most of their expected players in any potential expansion draft. But if there is one decision that already looks a bit puzzling even a few years out, it's selecting to protect Quinten Post over Karim Lopez.
Despite initial fears of an overpay, Quinten Post could end up proving to be a shrewd addition to the Grizzlies' frontcourt. Post should be another source of three-point shooting and could potentially recover some of the defensive quality he showed early in his second season with the Warriors. But Post will have plenty to prove to show he can factor in the Grizzlies' long-term plans.
A lot can happen between now and a potential expansion draft, but the likely scenario is that a lot would have to go wrong for Karim Lopez to not be protected. Lopez already possesses impressive strength for his age and is a smart off-ball player offensively. Paired with his defensive upside and rebounding ability, an offensive leap could make him a crucial building block for years to come.
Time will tell, but if there is an expansion draft, it seems like the Grizzlies should be making Karim Lopez one of their biggest priorities when selecting their eight protected players.
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