T&T Expansion Draft Project

[MoneyTalks41890]

This is how I would pick from what is here so far:

Salary: $45 million

Nelson/Ennis
KMart/Lamb
Wilson Chandler/Jeff Taylor
Josh Smith/Kyle Anderson/Nicholson
Jason Thompson/Antic/Ajinca

A few spots TBD based on teams that haven't posted here yet, but I guessed Kyle Anderson's availability based on the depth of the roster and win now mentality.

Finding a good center without picking up McGee would be hard, and I wouldn't do that with Smoove already on the roster.

I know Denver fans had different ideas, but I chose the scenario where Chandler is unp.

[HartfordWhalers]

This is how I would pick from what is here so far:

Salary: $45 million

Nelson/Ennis
KMart/Lamb
Wilson Chandler/Jeff Taylor
Josh Smith/Kyle Anderson/Nicholson
Jason Thompson/Antic/Ajinca

A few spots TBD based on teams that haven't posted here yet, but I guessed Kyle Anderson's availability based on the depth of the roster and win now mentality.

Finding a good center without picking up McGee would be hard, and I wouldn't do that with Smoove already on the roster.

I know Denver fans had different ideas, but I chose the scenario where Chandler is unp.

I was sitting at:

Calderon / Ennis
Lamb / Muhammed
Redick / Harkless /
Smith / Ryan Kelly / Nicholson
Antic / Noguierra

Calderon/Redick/Smith are ~ 28.5m a year of the 45m, all match up as 3 year deals and starter level players. At some point the cap is rising to match other teams, and until then this gets you the core that compliments each other and prevents you from being so horrifically bad fans never catch on. Without anyone of talent, you won't get better bang for the buck in free agency.

Ennis/Lamb/Muhammed/Harkless/Noguierra offer cheap prospects (probably need to pick just one of the two Orlando guys I assume once one guy gets picked, you can pull back 2) Make it Harkless, and add in Moultrie if he is there?

More likely Redick is protected (and Muhammed over Brewer). If that is true, I probably think Evan Turner at the tax MLE has upside and little downside, and I do consider Jason Thompson but I'm not sure I bite still.

[NOLA Glasses]

New Orleans

Protects:
Anthony Davis
Jrue Holiday
Tyreke Evans
Omer Asik
Ryan Anderson
Austin Rivers
Russ Smith
Jeff Withey

Unprotected:
John Salmons
Patric Young
Darius Miller
Luke Babbit
Jimmer Fredette
Alexis Ajinca
Eric Gordon

[loserX]

Still need answers for:
Brooklyn
Chicago
Cleveland
Houston
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
San Antonio

[Texas Chuck]

we don't have a lot of Heat or Grizz regs on here, but we shouldn't have any problems with those other fanbases. I'll start working on the teams we have no entries for by Saturday. Would also still like to see more responses from every team if possible to get as good a consensus as we can.

[jbk1234]

Cavs.

Protected

LBJ
Love
Kyrie
Dion
TT
Haywood
Marion
Delly


Unprotected

Harris
M. Miller
AV
J. Jones
Last two guys on the roster.

[quick23]

Milwaukee

protects
Sanders, Henson, Park, Giannis, Middleton, Knight, Wolters, Inglis

Unprotected

Zaza, Illyasova, Dudley, Mayo, Wright, O'bryant, Bayless

[DocRI]

we don't have a lot of Heat or Grizz regs on here, but we shouldn't have any problems with those other fanbases. I'll start working on the teams we have no entries for by Saturday. Would also still like to see more responses from every team if possible to get as good a consensus as we can.

I didn't want to hijack the thread with another Pistons list after the long Josh Smith debate, but since you asked —

DETROIT

PROTECTED:
• Drummond
• Monroe
• Smith
• Caldwell-Pope
• Jennings
• Meeks
• Dinwiddie
• Singler

UNPROTECTED:
• Augustin (But I could absolutely see the Pistons forking over a future 2nd rounder to get the NewSonics to take someone else, especially dependent upon Dinwiddie's recovery)
• Bynum
• Butler
• Datome
• Martin
• Mitchell
• Gray
• Thabeet (if he even counts)

I think the choice between Augustin and Singler for the last protected slot is razor close, but everything else is pretty much chalk. And by the way Chuck, kudos on this AWESOME idea for a thread!

[truch]

There's no way Denver would choose to protect Quincy Milley over Wilson so there's not much point in including him in the expansion roster

[LightTheBeam]

Sacramento Kings

Protected

Cousins
Gay
stauskas
mclemore
mccallum
Moreland
collison
sessions

Unprotected

Bhullar
Evans
Thompson
Landry
Casspi
Hollins
Derrick Williams

[CAVS ARE BACK]

Cavs.

Protected

LBJ
Love
Kyrie
Dion
TT
Haywood
Marion
Delly


Unprotected

Harris
M. Miller
AV
J. Jones
Last two guys on the roster.

Switch Marion and Delly with AV and Miller. The latter two are going to be needed this year. Marion can't shoot.

[clydestudent1276]

Raptors

Protected
J Valanciunas
K Lowry
D Derozan
T Ross
A Johnson
P Patterson
Bruno
Nogueira

Unprotected

G Vasquez
L Williams
J Johnson
T Hansbrough
J Hamilton
L Fields
C Hayes
G Stiemsma
W Cherry

The first five protected are easy for the Raptors. I personally think Patterson is the sixth man and kept the two young prospects to round out the 8. Unforunately it left Vasquez and Williams available.
I can see an expansion team picking from the first five guys on the unprotected list.

[jbk1234]

Cavs.

Protected

LBJ
Love
Kyrie
Dion
TT
Haywood
Marion
Delly


Unprotected

Harris
M. Miller
AV
J. Jones
Last two guys on the roster.

Switch Marion and Delly with AV and Miller. The latter two are going to be needed this year. Marion can't shoot.

I assumed it would be after this season. Even so, Miller wouldn't be protected. Cavs have plenty of shooting. Delly and Marion can play defense. I'd probably leave Delly unprotected over Marion.

[puppa bear]

Miami

Protected:
Chalmers
Wade
Deng
McBob
Bosh
Ennis
Napier
Andersen

Unprotected:
Williams
Hamilton
Birch
Granger
Brown
Haslem
Cole

I think Heat want to be able to protect Haslem (as a sign of loyalty), so maybe they offer a 2nd to not pick him or Cole. I think Ennis & Napier get the last 2 slots, because we really don't have that much young potential to risk someone nabbing one of them. Cole is valuable, but I see him bolting to Cleveland next year to follow LBJ - they worked out all summer, even after he left.

I've struggled to be able to follow who is unprotected - will there be a spreadsheet or something at the end. Or at least a big-arse list of the (210) players not protected.

[Texas Chuck]

I've struggled to be able to follow who is unprotected - will there be a spreadsheet or something at the end. Or at least a big-arse list of the (210) players not protected.

absolutely, we will compile a master list so that it makes it much easier to pick your expansion team. I was hoping to still get more input on who would be protected/unprotected first. Good question.

[Marmoset]

Raptors

Protected
J Valanciunas
K Lowry
D Derozan
T Ross
A Johnson
P Patterson
Bruno
Nogueira

Unprotected

G Vasquez
L Williams
J Johnson
T Hansbrough
J Hamilton
L Fields
C Hayes
G Stiemsma
W Cherry

The first five protected are easy for the Raptors. I personally think Patterson is the sixth man and kept the two young prospects to round out the 8. Unforunately it left Vasquez and Williams available.
I can see an expansion team picking from the first five guys on the unprotected list.

I can't see any way the Raptors protect Noguiera over Vasquez. If this was a year ago, maybe, but that would hurt the team significantly right now and the Raptors want to go deep in the playoffs. Even a year ago I think you would have protected a solid proven player over pure potential.

Otherwise I agree, and this one change matches other people's list for the Raptors.

it's a good thing there isn't a real expansion draft right now, because the Raptors have a deep bench. Those are the types of teams that lose players in an expansion draft (that anyone cares about).

[165bows]

Celtics protect: Bradley, Green, Olynyk, Rondo, Smart, Sullinger, Young and Zeller

Celtics unprotected: Bass, Faverani, Powell, Pressey, Thornton, Turner, Wallace (for this exercise I assumed Joel Anthony would be bought out)

Fun idea! I love anything to do with an Expansion Draft idea!

I agree with this breakdown, only possible other configuration would be swapping Evan Turner for Tyler Zeller. For this team got to keep depth up front though.

I think Turner, Bass or possibly Thornton could get grabbed. It'll be fun to see the whole list and knock out a mock draft.

[GhostofJizzbird]

Celtics protect: Bradley, Green, Olynyk, Rondo, Smart, Sullinger, Young and Zeller

Celtics unprotected: Bass, Faverani, Powell, Pressey, Thornton, Turner, Wallace (for this exercise I assumed Joel Anthony would be bought out)

Fun idea! I love anything to do with an Expansion Draft idea!

I agree with this breakdown, only possible other configuration would be swapping Evan Turner for Tyler Zeller. For this team got to keep depth up front though.

I think Turner, Bass or possibly Thornton could get grabbed. It'll be fun to see the whole list and knock out a mock draft.

I would also swap Turner with Zeller - it looks like the pool so far is deeper on decent (if usually overpaid) bigs than it is on skilled offensive wings. Zeller might get picked, Turner will almost assuredly get picked. If I could protect a 9th, I'd probably take Thornton over Zeller there.

Can anyone explain to me why the expansion team has a such a low cap?

[Ralnor]

Minnesota Timberwolves

Protected: Rubio, LaVine, Wiggins, Dieng, Young, Pek, Brewer, Muhammad

Unprotected: Barea, Budinger, Hummel, Williams, Turiaf, Martin, Robinson III, Bennett

I can see Bennett being kept instead of Muhammad.

[Texas Chuck]

Can anyone explain to me why the expansion team has a such a low cap?

The last time the NBA expanded they put Charlotte on cap restrictions for 2 years so I simply went with that idea.