The G-League held its 2017 expansion draft on Wednesday, with four new franchises selecting player rights from the league’s previously existing 22 teams. The four teams selected 11 players each in a snake format, and each existing G-League franchise could and would only lose two players (after protecting the rights to up to nine).
For Raptors 905, those two players were DeAndre Danies and Jame Siakam. Daniels was selected by Erie in the first round, while Siakam was taken by Wisconsin in the eight round.
The parent club Toronto Raptors renounced their rights to Daniels, a former second-round pick, earlier this offseason. He appeared in eight games for the 905 in 2015-16 as an in-season affiliate player on his way back from a Jones fracture, then spent last season in the Italian second division. Siakam, the brother of Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, was claimed from the player pool at the end of the 2015-16 season but never appeared in a game for the 905.
A year ago, the 905 lost the rights to Keanau Post and Dee Bost in the expansion draft. Neither played in the G-League last season, but the Greensboro Swarm will own their returning player rights for one more season. The summer prior to that, the 905 selected 16 players in the expansion draft, ultimately using those players as trade currency more than anything else. Scott Suggs was a notable piece for the team in its expansion season, and Will Sheehey and C.J. Leslie both played for the 905 a year ago, but they’re the only three of that group of 16 to play for the 905.
The loss of Daniels and Siakam further thins out a 905 rights sheet that is going to need serious reinforcement via the October draft (they have an extra third-round pick, at least), September’s local open tryouts, NBA assignments, and general manager Dan Tolzman’s usual aggression on the trade market. Coming off of a championship season, most of the team’s key pieces have understandably cashed in for overseas raises. Edy Tavares could be a swing piece here, as the Cleveland Cavaliers now have 17 players under contract (they can have up to 20 until the regular season begins, and Tavares may not clear waivers, but it’s worth keeping an eye on).
Here’s how the 905 right sheet lines up ahead of tryouts and the draft:
