The 1961 NBA Expansion Draft was the inaugural expansion draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 26, 1961, so that the newly founded Chicago Packers could acquire players for the upcoming 1961–62 season. The Packers were the second NBA team from Chicago, after the Chicago Stags, which folded in 1950.[1] The Packers later underwent several name changes and relocations before moving to Washington, D.C.. They are currently known as the Washington Wizards.[2] 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.
Formerly the Chicago Packers (1961–1962), Chicago Zephyrs (1962–1963), Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973), Capital Bullets (1973–1974), and Washington Bullets (1974–1997)