The Los Angeles Lakers have a star-studded past filled with franchise players who led the team to many championships. Sometimes, however, there are stars who get away - including Gail Goodrich, who the team once failed to protect in an expansion draft.
With news of NBA expansion on the horizon, it's hard not to think of the best players lost in an expansion draft -- both for the Lakers and for the rest of the league. 29 of 30 teams have lost at least one player in an expansion draft, and many have lost stars.
Who would top the list for every franchise? Which players were the very best ones to be snatched away in an expansion draft? Let's walk through the entire league, starting in Hollywood with the boomerang career arc of Gail Goodrich.
Gail Goodrich was snatched in the expansion draft
We begin with the Los Angeles Lakers because the best player ever taken in an expansion draft -- not necessarily based on total career, but as a star in the middle of his prime -- was when the Phoenix Suns snatched Gail Goodrich away from the Lakers in the 1968 expansion draft.
The Lakers went to the NBA Finals in 1967-68, losing the Boston Celtics, and had a roster loaded with talent. Even so, Goodrich was clearly a rising talent in the league. He reportedly asked the Lakers not to protect him, and the Phoenix Suns took him with the fourth overall pick after taking Dick Van Arsdale with the No. 1 pick (the new Milwaukee Bucks drafted second and third).
Goodrich became the centerpiece star for the Suns over the next few seasons, exploding for 23.8 points per game -- sixth-best in the NBA. He was an All-Star that year, then had arguably an even better seeason the following year on a Suns team that made the playoffs and lost to the Lakers.
Los Angeles traded for him back in 1970, and he became a core member of the team for the next half-decade, including the 1971-72 team that won the championship. A future Hall of Fame player to drafted in an expansion draft as he entered his prime -- that makes Goodrich the "best" player to be taken in an expansion draft.
Every Expansion Draft in NBA History
- 2026 (1961 - Chicago Packers (now Washington Wizards)
- 1966 - Chicago Bulls
- 1967 - San Diego Rockets (now Houston Rockets) and Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder)
- 1968 - Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns
- 1970 - Buffalo Braves (now Los Angeles Clippers), Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers
- 1974 - New Orleans Jazz (now Utah Jazz)
- 1980 - Dallas Mavericks
- 1988 - Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat
- 1989 - Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic
- 1995 - Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies (now Memphis Grizzlies)
- 2004 - Charlotte Bobcats (now Charlotte Hornets)
Players who became stars after expansion selections
In addition to Gail Goodrich, a handful of other NBA players saw their careers take off once they changed teams in an expansion draft. The Charlotte Hornets took Muggsy Bogues in an expansion draft and he became a fan favorite starter; years later, the Charlotte Bobcats snagged Gerald Wallace and he grew into an All-Star.
The best example is Dick Van Arsdale, who was taken first overall in the same expansion draft as Goodrich by the Phoenix Suns. They paired together as co-stars for really good Suns teams, and Van Arsdale would make three All-Star games (arguably he deserved to make more) and eventually went to the NBA Finals with the Suns in 1976. More on Van Arsdale below.
What about the rest of the NBA? Let's look at every team's best player taken in an expansion draft, from Atlanta to Washington.
Every NBA Team's Best Player Lost in an Expansion Draft
Atlanta Hawks: Reggie Theus
One of the underrated scorers in NBA history, the 6'6" Reggie Theus made two All-Star teams earlier in his career before playing one standout season for the Hawks in 1988-89. The following year, the expansion Orlando Magic took Theus with the third pick of the 1989 expansion draft, and Theus averaged 18.9 points per game in his first season in Orlando.
Boston Celtics: Bailey Howell
Bailey "Buckshot" Howell had a Hall of Fame career for the Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets and Boston Celtics in the 1960s, making six All-Star teams and winning two titles. In 1970, the Buffalo Braves took the decorated forward in the expansion draft at the very tail end of his career; he would last just one more season in the NBA.
Brooklyn Nets: Benoit Benjamin
The seven-foot Benoit Benjamin had a journeyman career after the Los Angeles Clippers drafted him third overall in 1985 out of Creighton. The Louisiana native played for nine different franchises, including the New Jersey Nets from 1993-95. The expansion Vancouver Grizzlies then drafted Benjamin late in the 1995 draft, where he played just 13 games before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Charlotte Hornets: Kenny Gattison
Kenny Gattison's career got off to a slow start after he was drafted in 1986 out of Old Dominion, but he caught on with the Charlotte Hornets in 1989 and six solid seasons as a rotation player before the Vancouver Grizzlies scooped him up in the 1995 expansion draft. He would play one season for the Grizz before his NBA career ended.
Chicago Bulls: B.J. Armstrong
An absolute sniper from the guard position, B.J. Armstrong won three titles with the Chicago Bulls and then stepped up into an All-Star berth during Michael Jordan's retirement season. The Toronto Raptors took Armstrong first overall in the 1995 expansion draft, but he refused to report. Toronto traded him to the Golden State Warriors instead and he played another five seasons in the league, but missed out on the second three-peat in Chicago.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Dell Curry
One of the league's great shooters and an all-time player in Charlotte Hornets history, Curry was on a good Cleveland Cavaliers team in 1988 before the Hornets took him in the 1988 expansion draft. From there, he played 701 games and hit 929 3-pointers for the Hornets across 10 seasons.
Dallas Mavericks: Arvid Kramer
Dallas has avoided having any meaningful players taken in an expansion draft. They did take forward Arvid Kramer in the 1980 expansion draft, then held onto his rights as he played overseas for the next eight seasons. The Miami Heat then took him first overall in the 1988 expansion draft, but he never returned to the NBA.
Denver Nuggets: Reggie Slater
Reggie Slater was a journeyman power forward signed as an undrafted free agent by the Denver Nuggets in 1994. The following year, the Vancouver Grizzlies took him in the expansion draft, and he would play another decade in the league.
Detroit Pistons: Rick Mahorn
A key part of the Detroit Pistons' championship team in 1989, the bruising big man was then taken second overall in the 1989 expansion draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was flipped to Philadelphia, where he was named All-Defense and continued what would be an 18-year NBA career.
Golden State Warriors: Tom Meschery
Tom Meschery was an All-Star forward for the Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors in the 1960s. Born in China and with Russian heritage, Meschery was a character and fan-favorite. The expansion Seattle SuperSonics took him in the 1967 expansion draft and he played another four seasons for the Sonics.
Houston Rockets: Pat Riley
Before becoming a Hall of Fame head coach and executive, Pat Riley was a scrappy guard from New York taken seventh overall in the 1967 NBA Draft. After three seasons with the San Diego Rockets, the Portland Trail Blazers took Riley in the 1970 expansion draft, then sold his rights to the Los Angeles Lakers. The rest is history.
Indiana Pacers: Scott Skiles
Another future head coach, Scott Skiles was a point guard in the 1980s playing for his hometown Indiana Pacers when he was taken 11th in the 1989 expansion draft. He would break out two seasons later, winning Most Improved Player and serving a key role for the Orlando Magic for a half-decade.
LA Clippers: Bob Kauffman
Before making their way to California, the Clippers were known as the Buffalo Braves. In the early 1970s, their star player was big man Bob Kauffman, who made three-straight All-Star teams for Buffalo. Then injuries struck, and he declined quickley. When the Atlanta Hawks took Kauffman in the 1974 expansion draft, he lasted just one disappointing season before retiring.
Memphis Grizzlies: Theron Smith
Joining the NBA in 1995, the Grizzlies only had one expansion draft to go through -- they lost little-used rookie forward Theron Smith to the Charlotte Hornets in 2004. Smith made it just one year in Charlotte before his NBA career was over.
Miami Heat: John Salley
John Salley was the ultimate championship role player, winning four titles with three different franchises over the course of his career. In 1995, after three years in Miami, Salley was taken by the Toronto Raptors. After a few months, he negotiated a buyout, joined the Chicago Bulls, and was a backup on their 1996 title team.
Milwaukee Bucks: Len Chappell
An absolutely dominant college player at Wake Forest, Len Chappell burst onto the NBA scene, made the All-Star team in his second season, and bounced around to half the teams in the league. The 6'8" power forward was taken in an expansion draft a whopping three times: in 1966 to the Chicago Bulls; in 1968 to the Milwaukee Bucks; and finally in 1970 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Andrés Guibert
There is no noteworthy name on the expansion ledger for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Cuban big man Andrés Guibert went undrafted in 1990 and then defected to the United States in 1993, paving the way for him to join the Minnesota Timberwolves for two seasons. He was selected in the 1995 expansion draft by the Toronto Raptors, who then waived him before the season began. Guibert then completed his career overseas.
New Orleans Pelicans: Maurice Carter
The sliver of history for the New Orleans Hornets before they became the Pelicans allowed for just one expansion draft -- the one that added the Charlotte Bobcats into the league. Carter never played in Charlotte after scoring just 42 points as an undrafted rookie in 2003-04.
New York Knicks: Dick Van Arsdale
"The Flying Dutchman" was the one who got away for the New York Knicks. The 13th pick in the 1965 NBA Draft, he played three seasons for the Knickerbockers before the Phoenix Suns took him in the 1968 expansion draft. From there, the 6'5" guard ripped off three-straight All-Star games and made a run to the NBA Finals in 1976. In all, he would play 9 seasons in Phoenix, teaming with Gail Goodrich to form a lethal backcourt to kick off the Suns franchise.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Richie Frahm
Only minor role players have been snatched from Seattle in expansion drafts, with Richie Frahm narrowly making the cut as the "best" of the bunch. The Washington native played for Gonzaga, signed as an undrafted free agent with the SuperSonics, was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats - and promptly waived so he could sign in Portland. A true northwesterner!
Orlando Magic: Zaza Pachulia
Younger NBA fans may remember Zaza Pachulia solely as a role player for two title teams in Golden State, but the Georgian center had a lengthy 16-year career that began in Orlando in 2003. In 2004, the expansion Bobcats drafted Pachulia and then flipped him in a trade to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Philadelphia 76ers: Larry Costello
Hall of Fame point guard Larry Costello starred for the Syracuse Nationals for many years in the 1950s and 60s, then joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 1963 and won the title in 1967. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1968 expansion draft but didn't play a single game for them or anyone else.
Phoenix Suns: Tyrone Corbin
The Phoenix Suns had a plethora of talented players pass through the franchise in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and that included South Carolina native Tyrone Corbin. He played two seasons in Phoenix before the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted him in 1989. In all, he would play 16 seasons in the league.
Portland Trail Blazers: Steve Johnson
Center Steve Johnson was an All-Star for the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988, a candidate for "worst players in history to make an All-Star team." Just one year later, the Blazers didn't protect him in the 1989 expansion draft and he was taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He would be out of the league two years later.
Sacramento Kings: Gerald Wallace
A strong candidate for the greatest "Bobcat" ever (Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker were Bobcats and Hornets), Gerald "Crash" Wallace started his career with the Sacramento Kings. After three nondescript seasons, he was taken by the expansion Bobcats and blossomed into a high-energy starter who made the All-Star team in 2010.
San Antonio Spurs: Willie Anderson
Atlanta native Willie Anderson was drafted 10th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 1988, and he started alongside David Robinson on some strong Spurs squads. In 1995, however, his career was starting to trend downhill. The Toronto Raptors scooped him up and he played parts of two more seasons before heading overseas to Greece.
Toronto Raptors: None
The Raptors joined the league in 1995, and they did not have a player taken in the only expansion draft since in 2004.
Utah Jazz: Rickey Green
Chicago point guard Rickey Green was drafted in 1977 and played for eight teams in 14 seasons. The speedy guard played the longest stretch of his career in Utah across eight seasons, running the offense and once leading the league in steals. By 1988, a young John Stockton had overtaken Green in Utah's pecking order, and he was taken by the expansion Charlotte Hornets.
Washington Wizards: Muggsy Bogues
With a nod to Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan, who was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets and then snatched away by the Chicago Bulls in 1966, Muggsy Bogues takes the title for the Bullets / Wizards. The 5'3" guard known for his height playing in a league of giants, Bogues was drafted twelfth by the Bullets in 1987. He wasn't beloved by new head coach Wes Unseld, however, and the franchise left him vulnerable in the 1988 expansion draft.
The Charlotte Hornets took Bogues and he carved out a strong career, ranking among the league's best passers for most of the 1990s and establishing himself as a fan favorite. His career dropped off precipitously due to knee injuries and his last season was in 2001.