As the NBA moves toward a possible expansion, teams across the league should start considering which players to protect and which to make vulnerable.
If we follow the same rules that applied during the Charlotte Bobcats’ expansion draft in 2004, each team could protect eight players from its roster. That’s exactly what Dan Favale and Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report did in a speculative piece breaking down which players would be protected on each team. For the Phoenix Suns, that included Mark Williams—a move that wouldn’t make a ton of sense.
Protecting Williams in an expansion draft would be a Suns' mistake
In Bleacher Report’s breakdown, Hughes opts to protect Williams among the eight untouchables for the Suns. That decision, in part, would leave youngsters like Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat vulnerable to being poached by the future Las Vegas Kalshi Polymarkets (team name TBD).
Yet, Williams already provided the Suns with reasons not to retain him as a restricted free agent this summer. His health remains a major question mark, as Williams’ 60 games played in his debut season in Phoenix still managed to be a career high. Williams hadn’t played more than 44 games in a season prior and had a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers nullified due to LA’s concerns over a reportedly failed physical exam.
Even setting aside the health questions, Williams didn’t stand out as a rim protector despite his 7-foot-1 frame.
Backup center Oso Ighodaro’s defended field goal percentage against shots within six feet of the basket last year was 57.8 percent, according to NBA.com data. Williams, meanwhile, allowed a 64.4 percent shooting clip in those situations last season.
Khaman Maluach, the former No. 10 overall draft pick, was better than both of those guys by holding opponents to a sterling 44.3 percent, which led all of basketball among players with at least 30 games played and at least two such field goals defended per game.
With two superior defensive options at center on the existing roster, including the potential of Maluach as a former lottery pick, protecting all three in an expansion draft would be an odd choice.
Suns have other players worth investing in
The Suns just traded up into the first round of the 2026 draft to select Peat, the local product and University of Arizona star, at No. 30 overall. It makes sense that they’d sooner protect the incoming rookie—on a cheaper contract with fewer health questions—over Williams.
The same goes for Fleming, who’s been labeled the Suns’ biggest sleeper candidate as he heads toward his sophomore season as a pro. The 6-foot-9 forward boasts an absurd wingspan stretching beyond 7-foot-5, giving him the raw physical traits to become a difference-maker on the defensive end of the court.
The defensive upside of Fleming is just one piece of the puzzle. Across nine G League games last season (Tip-Off Tournament and regular season combined), Fleming averaged 17.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.4 assists per game while making 50.4 percent of his field goals and 37.3 percent of his 3-point tries.
Yes, G League production isn’t always a precursor to NBA success, but the potential in those numbers is worth protecting if you’re Phoenix.
There’s an argument to be made that even if the Suns left Williams vulnerable in an expansion draft setting, there’s no guarantee a new franchise would opt to pick him up. Yes, his new contract is team-friendly and could provide value beyond the raw dollars, but expansion teams need consistency and upside. Right now, Williams doesn’t provide much of either.
That’s not to say Williams is a bad NBA player. He just doesn’t log enough games and minutes at this stage of his career to justify protecting him over a young buck who could still develop into something more impactful, especially with Maluach waiting in the wings.
An expansion draft isn't imminent until Commissioner Adam Silver gives the official green light, but Phoenix opting to protect its younger talents over Williams should be the path the Suns choose when/if the time comes.
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