RealGM

Hey Magic fans, Just wanted to know if in an expansion draft what 8 players are you protecting? Remember 1 player must be unprotected from the draft and player/team options can also be protected. Thanks guys. Also what would you be willing to give up to protect one of your players from not being selected.

This is based of the NBA adding 2 new expansion teams to Vegas and Seattle. Two new expansion teams to the West means we are going to absorb 2 Western Conference teams into the East. Probably looking at Memphis and New Orleans switching to the Eastern Conference and PRAYING that it’s not OKC becoming the new Eastern Conference powerhouse..

Paolo
Franz
Suggs
AB
Jett
TDS
Goga
WCJ

From the NBA standpoint I think they’d love a Spurs VS Thunder NBA Finals. As a fan of the game I think that would be one hell of a series, who would not be excited to see Wemby against Chet and SGA. As a Magic fan that’s the worst case scenario even more so than who we lose in an expansion draft is who we gain as new conference opponents.

1st 6 seem easy.

Paolo
Franz
Suggs
AB
TDS
Goga

Last two for me is out of the following: WCJ, JI, Moe, and KCP.

eyriq wrote:Paolo
Franz
Suggs
AB
Jett
TDS
Goga
WCJ

Jett is a little surprise to me. What’s your assessment of Jett?

P5
Franz
Suggs
TDS
AB
KCP
Goga
WCJ

RichCollab wrote:

eyriq wrote:Paolo
Franz
Suggs
AB
Jett
TDS
Goga
WCJ

Jett is a little surprise to me. What’s your assessment of Jett?

There are several factors in Jett's favor:

1. Age, he's super young
2. Lottery pick, which to puts him on rising star watch until proven otherwise
3. Skillset as a three point specialist, which is something we lack. He also has size for his position and an NBA pedigree.

Personally, I don't really like Jett. He was bad in college and has underwhelmed in the NBA. His G-League stint showed scoring versatility but I don't really know how to evaluate that in terms of NBA upside, and while I think he was our third best player during the summer league I have him behind TDS and AB there. However I'd be hesitant to just give up on his upside given that I know the organization really likes him.

eyriq wrote:

RichCollab wrote:

eyriq wrote:Paolo
Franz
Suggs
AB
Jett
TDS
Goga
WCJ

Jett is a little surprise to me. What’s your assessment of Jett?

There are several factors in Jett's favor:

1. Age, he's super young
2. Lottery pick, which to puts him on rising star watch until proven otherwise
3. Skillset as a three point specialist, which is something we lack. He also has size for his position and an NBA pedigree.

Personally, I don't really like Jett. He was bad in college and has underwhelmed in the NBA. His G-League stint showed scoring versatility but I don't really know how to evaluate that in terms of NBA upside, and while I think he was our third best player during the summer league I have him behind TDS and AB there. However I'd be hesitant to just give up on his upside given that I know the organization really likes him.

Jett has a very specific way he has to be used IMO. His biggest strength is his lighting quick release, that’s it IMO but that’s not a problem it’s actually really useful. That quick release is deadly coming off screens, I’ve seen them run an out of bounds play for him twice now where he’s coming across off a pick and getting a fast shot up.

Will Franz feelings be hurt if we do not protect Moe?

Grizzlies and OKC going East would be pretty damn brutal scenario.

As for player protection during expansion, current target year is 2027-28, only 4 players today have contracts that last until that. Goga is player who most people throw as "protection" but guy is UFA year prior expansion and Magic probably won't even have much money to resign him to being with, especially if they don't dump Isaac and Carter.

pepe1991 wrote:Grizzlies and OKC going East would be pretty damn brutal scenario.

As for player protection during expansion, current target year is 2027-28, only 4 players today have contracts that last until that. Goga is player who most people throw as "protection" but guy is UFA year prior expansion and Magic probably won't even have much money to resign him to being with, especially if they don't dump Isaac and Carter.

Yea not sure what the NBA will use to determine who the East will absorb but from a business standpoint having OKC in the East is a good business move. I think New Orleans has to be practically guaranteed as one of the teams, they have no chance to over compete in the West and are mostly irrelevant enough for nobody to care. It comes down to Memphis and OKC as the second team and long term OKC looks to be the team that could come in and shake EVERYTHING up right away.

As GM, I would start by ensuring this four are protected:
Banchero
F-Wagner
Suggs
Bitadze
Carter
Black
da Silva

Obviously player #8 is between M-Wagner, Isaac, and Anthony. ( I smile when I see some protecting Howard).
From there I would contact the expansion team to see if there is a trade to be made to make a player eligible to be drafted. (That is nearly certain, as this was in the past such expansion drafts).

For example, I would have Isaac available if a FRP was made available. etc.

Banchero, Wagner, Suggs, Bitadze, KCP, Howard, Black, Da Silva

OKC won't come. Minnesota is pretty sure because they are isolated from the rest of the west and much nearer to the east teams. + New Orleans or Memphis.

RookieStar wrote:Will Franz feelings be hurt if we do not protect Moe?

A team will probably be allowed to trade for a player to not be selected. FOr example, the Magic could trade the expansion team a SRP to not select M-Wager.

More in general, this is on issue with the so-called deep teams, like Orlando.

RookieStar wrote:Will Franz feelings be hurt if we do not protect Moe?

At $40m+ he’ll get over it.

In order of first/easiest players to protect:

1a/1b: Franz Wagner & Paolo Banchero
3: Jalen Suggs
4: Anthony Black
5: Tristan da Silva
6: Goga Bitadze
7: Moritz Wagner
8: Jonathan Isaac (really the only hard pick for me: my reasoning is that what JI brings when's he's on and he's right is by far the hardest to replace, compared to KCP/WCJ)

I’d protect a guy like Queen above guys with better players with contracts I wouldn’t mind shedding - WCJ & Cole, specifically. An expansion draft could be a tool for amnesty or dumping without sweeteners.

It’s going to look very different when it actually happens.
Paolo
Franz
Suggs
Tristan
Black
Mo
Goga
Caleb