Expansion Draft Scenario -- Who would you protect?

Post #1 » by **Texas Chuck** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 2:45 pm

Trades and Transactions board is going to be doing an expansion draft project where we imagine we are running a new expansion team starting play in 2015/16 and having to create our initial roster pulled from current NBA teams.

So in advance of that I'm trying to get the best possible idea of what 8 players each franchise would most likely choose to protect. And while last year we depended on our Trade board posters to provide us that list, this year we thought it would be more accurate if we consulted with the team boards.

So I would love to get your opinions itt on which 8 players you think the Wolves would protect in an expansion draft. I am attaching a link to last year's project so you can see some of the criteria we used when assembling the expansion team. Other than the cap figures the rules would be roughly the same this year.

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=1348605

We'd also love to have any and all of you come participate in this project.

Maefteda · Post #2 » by **Maefteda** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 2:52 pm

Wiggins
Towns
LaVine
Rubio
Shabazz
Dieng
Garnett
Jones

Damn... this is tough. One of Payne, Garnett, Jones or possibly Dieng have to be left unprotected. That's without mentioning Kevin Martin.

sheefo13 · Post #3 » by **sheefo13** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 3:24 pm

Wiggins
Towns
Lavine
Shabazz
Rubio
Dieng
Garnett
Jones

I am cool leaving Payne unprotected. Bjelica would also be unprotected, which i would struggle with a little. It may actually make sense to leave Garnett unprotected because he is slightly overpaid for what you're gonna do. I couldn't imagine an expansion team taking a Garnett.

jpatrick · Post #4 » by **jpatrick** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 3:25 pm

No way Garnett would get protected. An expansion team isn't going to want a 40 year old, who is a shell of himself and due $8m per for 2 years.

Rubio
Jones
Lavine
Payne or Martin
Wiggins
Shabazz
Towns
Dieng

The only decision is Martin or Payne. Payne of course has more of a future, but I'd probably go Martin because I'm not a huge Payne fan and think Martin can fetch a decent asset (mid first?) at the deadline.

kmgarnett21 · Post #5 » by **kmgarnett21** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 3:26 pm

You're also forgetting Bjelica.

At first, I thought this would be easy. But it's not.

I'd have to go with Wiggins, Towns, LaVine, Rubio, Bazz, Dieng, Bjelica & Jones.

KG is a rare case. I doubt an expansion team would take KG. The only reason they would is for name recognition — having an all-time great, first ballot HOFer might be enticing. But I seriously doubt they'd take it. If this were to happen, you can bet KG would be on that protected 8 list though, so who do you leave off? Dieng? Jones?

Post #6 » by **Klomp** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 3:42 pm

Andrew Wiggins
Karl-Anthony Towns
Ricky Rubio
Zach LaVine
Shabazz Muhammad
Nemanja Bjelica
Kevin Garnett
Tyus Jones
-----
Gorgui Dieng
Adreian Payne
Kevin Martin
Anthony Bennett
Damjan Rudez
Lorenzo Brown
Nikola Pekovic

phonzadellika · Post #7 » by **phonzadellika** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 4:20 pm

Wiggins
Towns
Rubio
Lavine
Shabazz
Bjelica
Dieng
Jones

ace625214 · Post #8 » by **ace625214** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 4:30 pm

Wiggins
Towns
Rubio
LaVine
Shabazz
Dieng
Bjelica
Jones

Garnett makes too much and would just retire if he got picked. Pek would not get picked because of injuries. Brown/Rudez/Bennett aren't good enough to warrant it. Payne could be gone, and I could definitely see Martin getting picked because he's a good bang-for-the-buck SG on a new team looking to not be atrocious.

Maefteda · Post #9 » by **Maefteda** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 5:34 pm

I feel like you kinda have to pick Garnett as a sign of respect and to show how much we value the little significant history we have.

I even forgot about Bjelica. I think in a year he might be a lock to be in the top 8, but so far there is not enough there to say for certain.

Post #10 » by **Calinks** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:58 pm

Andrew Wiggins
Karl-Anthony Towns
Ricky Rubio
Zach LaVine
Shabazz Muhammad
Nemanja Bjelica
Kevin Garnett
Gorgui Dieng

jpatrick · Post #11 » by **jpatrick** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 7:10 pm

Completely forgot about Bjelica, and still think no way you protect Garnett. He has no trade value, no future as a player for an expansion team, and would retire if picked. An expansion team wouldnt pick him.

Rubio
Jones
Lavine
Wiggins
Shabazz
Bjelica
Towns
Dieng

You can only lose one guy in these drafts, so my guess would be Martin gets picked as a trade asset or Payne gets picked.

mondry · Post #12 » by **mondry** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 7:29 pm

ace625214 wrote:Wiggins
Towns
Rubio
LaVine
Shabazz
Dieng
Bjelica
Jones

That'd be my 8 too, I don't think it's really that hard either, protect your 8 best / most talented / young players for the future and call it a day. We can't be worried about the 1-3 years KG / Martin have left. The only thing I'm kind of unsure of is maybe keeping Payne instead of Bjelica because he's an unknown a new expansion team might not be willing to risk it on him.

Post #13 » by **C.lupus** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 11:26 pm

Wiggins
Towns
Rubio
LaVine
Muhammad
Bjelica
Dieng
Garnett or Jones

-----

Garnett or Jones
Martin
Payne
Bennett
Rudez
Brown
Pekovic

Talk to Garnett first. He'd most likely just retire, in which case Jones would be my eighth guy. If KG felt strongly about playing another year, make him the eighth guy and bump Jones down.

breatnach · Post #14 » by **breatnach** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 11:44 pm

Would a no-trade clause protect Garnett? It's obviously not a trade per se, but players specifically put these clauses in so they can have a say if they are being shipped off. An expansion draft move would undermine that aspect of a player's contract.

Anyone know?

Post #15 » by **Domejandro** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 12:19 am

breatnach wrote:Would a no-trade clause protect Garnett? It's obviously not a trade per se, but players specifically put these clauses in so they can have a say if they are being shipped off. An expansion draft move would undermine that aspect of a player's contract.

Anyone know?

It would not, but I believe Kevin Garnett's agent simply telling the teams that he would retire if picked would scare them off well enough.

shangrila · Post #16 » by **shangrila** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:43 am

I might include Martin over Rubio, but otherwise my list would be the same as everyone elses'.

theGreatRC · Post #17 » by **theGreatRC** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 4:19 am

Zach
Wiggy
Towns
Ricky
Bazz
Dieng
Bjelica
Martin

Saltine · Post #18 » by **Saltine** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 5:24 am

Wiggins
KAT
Ricky
Zach
Shabazz
Bjelica
Gorgui
Martin

There is no need to protect KG... Would you want pissed off KG on your team? :lol:

Saltine · Post #19 » by **Saltine** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 5:27 am

breatnach wrote:Would a no-trade clause protect Garnett? It's obviously not a trade per se, but players specifically put these clauses in so they can have a say if they are being shipped off. An expansion draft move would undermine that aspect of a player's contract.

Anyone know?

His contract most likely makes him a free agent in that scenario, so he couldn't be drafted in any case. The answer is probably buried over here somewhere;
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q112

Devilzsidewalk · Post #20 » by **Devilzsidewalk** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:42 pm

theGreatRC wrote:Zach
Wiggy
Towns
Ricky
Bazz
Dieng
Bjelica
Martin

I can't see us protecting Martin over Tyus, we paid a good price to get that dude