2008 D-League Expansion Draft Guide
by Matthew Brennan, D-League.com
September 22, 2008: The 2008 edition of the D-League Expansion Draft will take place via conference call this Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET. Here is what you need to know about how the draft works as the D-League's two newest teams will take the first steps in forming their rosters for their inaugural season.
What Happens In The Expansion Draft?
The format of the D-League Expansion Draft is quite simple. Representatives from the BayHawks and the Bighorns will each select ten players from a list of unprotected players provided by each D-League team from the 2007-08 rosters. Reno will make the first overall pick followed by Erie, with the teams switching order in each proceeding round. Keep in mind that the teams are not actually selecting the players, but the rights to those players should they elect to return to the D-League at any point during the 2008-09 season. For example, if Reno selects the rights to an unprotected player who is currently signed with an NBA team, he will have to be waived by that team and sign with the D-League to suit up for the Bighorns.
This is the third straight year where the D-League Expansion Draft, although this year's edition will contain only two teams and 20 total picks compared to four teams and 40 picks in the last two years. Many talented D-League players have had their names called in the Expansion Draft, including D-League All-Stars such as Elton Brown (Colorado, 1st overall 2006), Jeremy Richardson (Fort Wayne, 2nd overall 2007), and Jawad Williams (Anaheim, 3rd overall 2006). Here are links back to the results for past expansion drafts:
2007 Expansion Draft (Rio Grande Valley, Fort Wayne, Utah, Iowa)
2006 Expansion Draft (Colorado, Bakersfield, Anaheim, Los Angeles)
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Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images |
Here are some of the most notable names on the list of 55 unprotected players and their D-League teams from the 2007-08 season.
Chase has been one of the D-League's best point guards over the last two seasons as a member of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, and has also had NBA stints with the Utah Jazz and the Miami Heat. He left the D-Fenders in March to play for Besitkas in Turkey, and is now signed with Le Mans in the French League. Chase's rights were actually acquired by Los Angeles in the D-League Expansion Draft back in 2006, and he went on to earn a D-League All-Star berth in his first year with the D-Fenders.
An NBA veteran, Jones joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants late in the season after he was waived by Sacramento and averaged 24.4 points in ten games. The former first-round pick signed with the Denver Nuggets after a strong showing in the Las Vegas Summer League and will be battling for playing time in training camp with J.R. Smith and rookie Sonny Weems.
A veteran of both the D-League and some of Europe's top basketball leagues, the 6-11 Lang left the Ukraine last December and had a succesful nine-game stint with the Austin Toros, where he averaged 12.9 points and 6.3 rebounds. Lang then moved on to Turkey to finish the season with Turk Telekom Ankara. He could be one of the top big men in the D-League if he elects to return for the 2008-09 season.
Livingston has earned First Team All-D-League honors for the past two seasons and took home the MVP honors for the 2006-07 season after leading the league in assists. He retired after leading the Idaho Stampede to the 2007-08 D-League title, but his rights are available in this Expansion Draft in case he decides to make a return to the basketball court.
Smith, an NBA veteran who spent time with the Philadelphia 76ers, had an excellent campaing with Anaheim last season where he averaged 19.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in 23 games. Smith left the D-League in February and landed in Italy, where he averaged 9.5 points for Solsonica Rieti. He is currently a member of Greek club AO Kolossos, but will be one of the top forwards in the D-League if he returns to the United States.
Fort Wayne's first round pick in last year's D-League Draft after spending the preseason with the Los Angeles Lakers, Turner averaged 7.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in 47 games with the Mad Ants. He also played for the D-League Ambassadors at the Rocky Mountain Revue over the summer. Turner, a 6-11 center, is currently playing for Reales in the Dominican Republic.
Nesbitt teamed up with David Baileyto form one of the D-League's top backcourts in the 2007-08 season. The 5-9 Nesbitt averaged 15.4 points in 49 games as he made his second straight D-League playoffs appearance with the Skyforce. He is currently signed with Dexia Mons-Hainaut in Belgium.
A veteran who has spent time in the D-League and the NBA, Brown has spent part of the last two seasons in the D-League with Sioux Falls. He averaged 18.1 points in eight games in 2007-08 before heading overseas to the Netherlands. Brown, a 6-9 forward, earned a GATORADE Call-Up to Toronto during the 2002-03 season and to Washington in 2004-05. He also earned Second Team All-D-League honors with Huntsville for his 2004-05 campaign. He was a second round pick by Philadelphia (37th overall) in the 2001 NBA Draft.
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