The Athletic NBA Daily — Morning Shoot Around
Episode Title: NBA EXPANSION DRAFT | Morning Shoot Around
Airdate: March 18, 2026
Hosts: Andrew Schlecht, Dave DuFour, S (producer/moderator, presumed to be Zena Keita or Esfandiar Baraheni)
Theme: Mock NBA Expansion Draft – Las Vegas Strips & Seattle SuperSonics
Episode Overview
This episode features a spirited, in-depth mock NBA Expansion Draft, simulating how the upcoming Seattle SuperSonics and Las Vegas Strips would build their inaugural rosters. The hosts discuss philosophies behind building an expansion team, analyze player options, debate team-building strategies, and deliver plenty of laughs and NBA fan nostalgia. Listeners get a real-time, pick-by-pick experience as the teams are drafted, with sharp insights into the challenges and incentives facing real NBA expansion franchises.
Main Discussion Points & Insights
1. Setting the Expansion Scene
- (04:05) S brings up the strategic dilemma for expansion teams:
- Should they try to compete immediately, or tank and build for the future?
- Consensus: It’s nearly impossible to build a playoff team from the expansion pool, so “tanking”—or at least accepting losing early in return for long-term assets—is the logical route.
Notable Quote
"I think you have to tank. I think you have to come in… if you ever want to be good because we're going to see the talent pool."
— Andrew (05:31)
2. Expansion Draft Strategies
- (05:00–09:00) The hosts discuss:
- Acquiring unprotected, undesirable contracts from other teams in exchange for draft picks
- Targeting young, buried talent (Gerald Wallace/Bobcats analogy)
- Whether teams can negotiate trades/picks for protection or exposure (confirmed: they can)
Notable Quote
"I'm gonna try to straddle the line of: We're going for a playoff spot this year and we're gonna try and get some picks for your bad players."
— Dave (07:50)
Notable Moment
- “You want to come watch the Seattle SuperSonics and remember some guys? I got you.”
- All hosts joke about building off “vibes.”
3. The Draft Begins
- (10:04) Teams and GMs are set:
- S: Seattle SuperSonics
- Andrew: Las Vegas Strips
- Dave: Moderating, providing feedback, and often acting as other 30 GMs during negotiations
3.1. Top of the Draft
- Seattle (S): Takes DeMar DeRozan, looking for leadership, scoring, and trade value (11:35)
- “We got DeMar DeRozan, one of the greatest scorers of his generation, on the roster.” — Dave (11:52)
- Vegas (Andrew): Prioritizes upside, selects Nikola Topić despite injuries — “selling hope, not wins.” (13:00)
- “Topić will be the beginning of that…you need characters within your rebuild. And he is a character.” — Andrew (14:27)
- Vegas: Doubles down on upside/youth with Young Hansen, emphasizing potential and fan intrigue (16:19)
3.2. Drafting Philosophies Diverge
- Seattle pursues a blend — immediate respectability and asset accumulation
- Vegas goes all-in on future potential and intentional losing for lottery odds
- Seattle consistently asks for picks to take on big contracts (e.g., Yaka Poeltl, Andrew Wiggins) but negotiations are tough
4. Roster Building Tactics
- (21:01–30:00) Hosts dig into the balance between needing to hit the salary floor and maximizing long-term assets:
- Some value “selling hope” (super-young, high-potential signings), others “selling tickets” (recognizable vets)
- Free agency also looms as an option for reaching the cap floor
Notable Quote
“You could just draft a bunch of young guys and then potentially just sign some guys to, like, bloated deals.”
— Andrew (26:10)
5. Player-by-Player Analysis & Expansion Archetypes
- Throughout, hosts weigh risk/reward, especially with players like:
- Ty Jerome, Ben Sheppard, Jordan Walsh (underappreciated, developmental upside)
- Cody Williams, Johnny Furphy, Naquan Tomlin (young, project wings)
- Day’Ron Sharpe, Paul Reed, Yves Missi (classic expansion bigs)
- Julian Champagnie, Corey Kispert (low-salary shooting “glue guys”)
- Frequent callbacks to expansion archetypes (e.g., Chris Dunn: “the perfect expansion draft guard” — S, 49:46)
- References to previous expansion drafts and historical context (Charlotte Bobcats, 2004) (43:10+)
6. Negotiation With Fictional GMs
- Realistic “calls” are made to presumed GMs for salary dumps, pick sweeteners, and reluctance to move contracts (Patrick Williams, Yakob Poeltl, etc.)
7. Roster Recap & Starting Fives
(58:25) After 10–12 rounds, hosts recap their starting fives and depth for each franchise:
Seattle SuperSonics (S’s Draft)
- Starting Five:
- C: Yves Missi
- PF: Andrew Wiggins
- SF: Julian Champagnie
- SG: DeMar DeRozan
- PG: Ty Jerome
- Bench Depth:
- Chris Dunn, D’Anthony Melton, Jamal Shedd, Rasheer Fleming, Clay Thompson, Jace Richardson, Naquan Tomlin, Jonas Valanciunas, Jalen Clark, Clint Capela (rotational mainstays & vets)
- Philosophy: Strive for early competitiveness and culture/identity; possible “play-in” candidate
Las Vegas Strips (Andrew’s Draft)
- Starting Five:
- PG: Nikola Topić
- SG: Young Han Sen
- SF: Corey Kispert
- SF: Jordan Walsh
- PF: Mode Diwara (or as needed)
- Bench/Rotation:
- Cody Williams, Ben Shepard, Marcus Sasser, Trey Mann, Johnny Furphy, Justin Champagnie, Leonard Miller, Cameron Payne, Torian Prince, Kobe Bufkin, Day’Ron Sharpe, others (mostly youth & upside)
- Philosophy: Sell hope, maximize lottery odds (“avoid 40 wins like the plague!”), prioritize character and future trade value
Notable Exchange
“I would be shocked if the Strips end up winning more than 10 games.”
— Dave (60:51)
“Yeah, but that’s the goal, right?”
— Andrew (60:58)
8. Expansion Rules, NBA History & Free Agency
- Discussion about historical expansion rules, current speculation (e.g., protected/unprotected lists, cap floor)
- Allusions to new expansion team strategies and “what real teams should do, not what fans hope for.”
- Shoutout to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov and Dan Woike for breaking down expansion logistics
9. Fun Sidebars & NBA Culture
- “Remember this guy?” segments when referencing past expansions (Lonny Baxter, Zaza Pachulia, Marcus Fizer, etc.)
- Banter about team vibes, expansion logos, future 2K simulations (“someone make that NBA sim!”)
- Who would look cool in a Sonics jersey? Who would sign in free agency?
Memorable Quotes & Moments With Timestamps
-
On unwinnable expansion talent:
"We’re going to lose games. But listen, again, selling hope, selling characters."
— Andrew (17:22) -
On expansion center archetypes:
"If I was doing an expansion draft, B-ball Paul might be high up. I mean, doesn’t he feel like an expansion center?"
— S (24:22) -
On building the team:
"I think we can scrounge together a 40–42 season, you know, in the West."
— Dave (59:16) -
On the Vegas strategy:
“We need not to be able to fall further than five in this next draft. We need top-five picks over the next three years. That’s what we need.”
— Andrew (61:07)
Key Timestamps
- 03:35: Announcing the start of the expansion draft episode
- 04:05: Strategic table-setting for expansion teams
- 10:04: Official start of the mock draft and team selection
- 11:35: DeMar DeRozan goes no. 1 overall to Seattle
- 13:00: Nikola Topić to Las Vegas with the justification
- 16:19: Young Han Sen pick—emphasis on maximizing rebuild potential
- 21:01 – 30:00: Salary floor challenges, expansion pick negotiations
- 43:10: Historical flashbacks to 2004 Bobcats expansion
- 58:25: Hosts reveal starting fives for each expansion team
- 60:58: Vegas' “win as little as possible” strategy confirmed
- End: Shoutouts, calls for listener feedback on team strategies
Overall Tone & Style
- Fast-paced, witty, lightly irreverent — hosts riff on NBA culture, team building, and current events with the familiar camaraderie typical of NBA Twitter and The Athletic's writing.
- Blend of sharp analysis (player fit, salary cap, upside) with classic “NBA sicko” fan inside jokes and OG expansion history.
- Encouragement of listener feedback to gauge what real fans expect or desire from the upcoming NBA expansion process.
Suggested For:
- NBA fans interested in the business and roster construction side of the league
- Listeners who want to understand what an NBA expansion draft might really look like
- Fans of “what-if?” scenarios and team-building strategy debates