| 1995 NBA expansion draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Date(s) | June 24, 1995 |
| Overview | |
| League | NBA |
| Expansion teams | Toronto Raptors Vancouver Grizzlies |
| Expansion season | 1995–96 NBA season |
| First selection | B. J. Armstrong |
The1995 NBA expansion draft was the tenthexpansion draft in the history of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 24, 1995, so that the newly foundedToronto Raptors andVancouver Grizzlies could acquire players for the upcoming1995–96 season.Toronto was awarded an expansion team on September 30, 1993,[1] whileVancouver was awarded the league's 29th franchise on April 27, 1994.[2] They were the first NBA teams based in Canada since the1946–47 seasonToronto Huskies.[1]
In an NBA expansion draft, new NBA teams are allowed to acquire players from the previously established teams in the league. Not all players on a given team are available during an expansion draft, since each team can protect a certain number of players from being selected. In this draft, each of the twenty-seven other NBA teams had protected eight players from their roster, and the Raptors and the Grizzlies selected fourteen and thirteen unprotected players respectively, one from each team.
Prior to the draft, the league conducted acoin flip between the Raptors and the Grizzlies to decide their draft order in this expansion draft and in the1995 NBA draft. The Grizzlies won the coin flip and chose to have the higher pick in the 1995 Draft, allowing the Raptors to receive the first selection and the right to select fourteen players in the expansion draft.[2]
The Raptors were formed and owned by a group headed by Toronto businessmanJohn Bitove.Brendan Malone was hired asthe franchise's first head coach. The Raptors used their first pick to select three-time NBA championB. J. Armstrong from theChicago Bulls. However, Armstrong refused to report for training and was traded to theGolden State Warriors for five other players. The Raptors' other selections included four-time NBA championJohn Salley and six other former first-round picks,Doug Smith,Willie Anderson,Ed Pinckney,Acie Earl,B. J. Tyler andOliver Miller. Seven players from the expansion draft joined the Raptors for their inaugural season, but only Miller, Earl andŽan Tabak played more than one season for the team. Tabak andAndrés Guibert were the only international players in the draft.
The Grizzlies were formed and owned by Vancouver sports magnateArthur Griffiths. FormerAtlanta Hawks assistant coachBrian Winters was hired asthe franchise's first head coach. The Grizzlies used their first pick to select former first-round pickGreg Anthony from theNew York Knicks. The Grizzlies' other selections included three-time NBA championByron Scott and three other former first-round picks,Benoit Benjamin,Doug Edwards andBlue Edwards. On draft day, the Grizzlies acquired a second-round draft pick from theOrlando Magic in exchange for selectingRodney Dent, who had never played in the NBA.[3] Eight players from the expansion draft joined the Grizzlies for their inaugural season, but only Anthony and Blue Edwards played more than one season for the team.
| Pos. | G | F | C |
| Position | Guard | Forward | Center |
| + | Denotesplayer who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game |
| # | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game |
Prior to the day of the draft, the followingtrades were made and resulted in exchanges of future draft picks between the teams, along with a particular agreement in the expansion draft.
