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NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect?

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NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#1 » by King4Day » Wed Jan 6, 2021 1:59 am

I thought this would be a fun topic to discuss.
While I'm sure most would pick similar players on our team, feel free to discuss other teams too.

I was reading up on it and this appears to be how it works:

Current teams can protect up to eight players. Each team must make at least one player available. If selected, restricted free agents become unrestricted free agents. Pending options can be decided before or after the expansion draft at the discretion of the option-holder. Anyone selected in the expansion draft can’t return to his prior team for one year. Players entering unrestricted free agency and players on two-way contracts are essentially ignored.

https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/03/18/mock-nba-expansion-draft-warriors-clippers-lakers-suns-kings/


Assume there will be 2 expansion teams as we're starting to hear rumblings about.
Which 8 players would you protect from our team?
Which players do you think other teams might take of those remaining players?
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Re: NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#2 » by cberry78 » Wed Jan 6, 2021 3:16 am

Booker - DA - Bridges - CamJ - CP3 - CamP - Dario - Jae - Smith
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Re: NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#3 » by bwgood77 » Wed Jan 6, 2021 3:19 am

Well,if the expansion is next summer, you protect:

Ayton
Booker
Bridges
Crowder
Johnson
Paul
Saric
Smith

I think this was relatively easy and don't see any other way. Originally I was going to not protect Paul only because I am pretty certain a franchise team wouldn't take him, but there is an extra spot after I came up with the first 7, and you don't want to risk it, so he's worth keeping over someone like Carter.

Payne will be a free agent so you can't protect him...same with most of the others and you can't protect 2 way guys. Expansion teams obviously can't pick them either since they are free agents....so we could just re-sign Payne as if we might under normal circumstances.
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Re: NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#4 » by Qwigglez » Wed Jan 6, 2021 7:14 am

Sign Tyler Ulis, protect him.
Sign Dragan Bender, protect him.
Frank Kaminsky has to be on lock, and no question about retaining uber athletic Damion Jones. Probably Jevon Carter, Abdel Nader, Ty-Shon Alexander, and then E'Twaun Moore. I don't think our others players would get picked anyway, so maybe they stay with the Suns regardless.
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Re: NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#5 » by Bogyo » Wed Jan 6, 2021 7:45 am

bwgood77 wrote:Well,if the expansion is next summer, you protect:

Ayton
Booker
Bridges
Crowder
Johnson
Paul
Saric
Smith

I think this was relatively easy and don't see any other way. Originally I was going to not protect Paul only because I am pretty certain a franchise team wouldn't take him, but there is an extra spot after I came up with the first 7, and you don't want to risk it, so he's worth keeping over someone like Carter.

Payne will be a free agent so you can't protect him...same with most of the others and you can't protect 2 way guys. Expansion teams obviously can't pick them either since they are free agents....so we could just re-sign Payne as if we might under normal circumstances.


2021 summer or 2022 summer are we talking about? I don't think it'd be 2021 summer, and by 2022 a lot of things will change and become more clear.
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Re: NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#6 » by bwgood77 » Wed Jan 6, 2021 7:53 am

Bogyo wrote:
bwgood77 wrote:Well,if the expansion is next summer, you protect:

Ayton
Booker
Bridges
Crowder
Johnson
Paul
Saric
Smith

I think this was relatively easy and don't see any other way. Originally I was going to not protect Paul only because I am pretty certain a franchise team wouldn't take him, but there is an extra spot after I came up with the first 7, and you don't want to risk it, so he's worth keeping over someone like Carter.

Payne will be a free agent so you can't protect him...same with most of the others and you can't protect 2 way guys. Expansion teams obviously can't pick them either since they are free agents....so we could just re-sign Payne as if we might under normal circumstances.


2021 summer or 2022 summer are we talking about? I don't think it'd be 2021 summer, and by 2022 a lot of things will change and become more clear.


Yeah, but then we will have draft picks, Paul expiring in 2022...so he would be UFA..no need to protect..could potentially re-sign. At that point I think if Smith is a bust, you don't protect him...if he is promising, then you don't protect Crowder and Saric if we have two young guys we like....they would just have one year left...and would clear salary anyway as we take on big contracts for Ayton and Bridges. Then we may have to keep Payne.

So in 2022 you probably have

Ayton
Booker
Bridges
Johnson
Smith

Payne?
21 draft pick
Crowder 1 year?
Saric 1 year?

22 draft pick probably is not available for expansion

So for the other 3, Payne if we re-sign, 21 draft pick, and probably Saric....but we could keep Carter instead if we want to clear space and Smith has evolved into a great backup 5 and a guy who can play 4.

So I imagine Crowder would be selected...similar to how Tyrone Corbin, a very important piece was taken back in the last expansion draft.

I assume you protect 21 draft pick for sure
Payne if we resign in
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Re: NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#7 » by Bogyo » Wed Jan 6, 2021 11:52 am

^^Yeah, I assume this is more correct. I'd think that an expansion (vote on it, getting investors together, get arenas, other facilities for the new teams) could only take place in 2022 realistically.

Although I m sure Sarver is drooling over the possibility to rake in 160 mio usd, and probably some other owners as well who are either "not that rich", or are a bit cash strapped at the moment due to the virus.

By that time you are correct I think, the "must protect" guys are Booker, Ayton, Brigdges, Johnson and the 21 draft pick. The jury is out on Smith and Payne (I really think we re-sign him this summer). Saric/Crowder/Carter are the ones you really have to decide on, and I'd bet one of them kinda falls off by then... No protection on CP, as he ll be FA (and I'm not sure that what we do there as he'll be old as dirt).
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Re: NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#8 » by WeekapaugGroove » Wed Jan 6, 2021 4:21 pm

The NBA should expand. We're actually in the longest stretch in league history without expansion and nba talent is coming from all over the world so the leagues talent pool can handle it.

Seattle is a no brainier and I'd guess Las Vegas is the likely second spot. Both teams being out West would also allow the league to move either Minnesota or Memphis to the east (assuming they keep the east/west format).

But timing wise I'd say 2022 is the earliest and it's probably more like 2023. As others have mentioned they need time to get the ownership groups together and either build new or renovate facilities to get them NBA ready. Will be super interesting to see what type of rules they use for expansion, I wouldn't assume it will be exactly like last time.

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Re: NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#9 » by bwgood77 » Wed Jan 6, 2021 6:29 pm

WeekapaugGroove wrote:The NBA should expand. We're actually in the longest stretch in league history without expansion and nba talent is coming from all over the world so the leagues talent pool can handle it.

Seattle is a no brainier and I'd guess Las Vegas is the likely second spot. Both teams being out West would also allow the league to move either Minnesota or Memphis to the east (assuming they keep the east/west format).

But timing wise I'd say 2022 is the earliest and it's probably more like 2023. As others have mentioned they need time to get the ownership groups together and either build new or renovate facilities to get them NBA ready. Will be super interesting to see what type of rules they use for expansion, I wouldn't assume it will be exactly like last time.

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I'd do KC easily over Vegas. I'd put KC in the division with Denver and move Minnesota to the east in it's division with natural rivals in Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit.

KC lost their basketball team before and is a much bigger basketball city than Vegas would be. They also have the T Mobile center ready to go.
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Re: NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#10 » by wheezy » Wed Jan 6, 2021 6:42 pm

bwgood77 wrote:
WeekapaugGroove wrote:The NBA should expand. We're actually in the longest stretch in league history without expansion and nba talent is coming from all over the world so the leagues talent pool can handle it.

Seattle is a no brainier and I'd guess Las Vegas is the likely second spot. Both teams being out West would also allow the league to move either Minnesota or Memphis to the east (assuming they keep the east/west format).

But timing wise I'd say 2022 is the earliest and it's probably more like 2023. As others have mentioned they need time to get the ownership groups together and either build new or renovate facilities to get them NBA ready. Will be super interesting to see what type of rules they use for expansion, I wouldn't assume it will be exactly like last time.

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I'd do KC easily over Vegas. I'd put KC in the division with Denver and move Minnesota to the east in it's division with natural rivals in Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit.

KC lost their basketball team before and is a much bigger basketball city than Vegas would be. They also have the T Mobile center ready to go.

Louisville has a stadium ready to go too (and you could argue they'd be a big basketball city as well), but overall Vegas is just a huge draw. Hard to see financial justification of KC over them. Summer league is there and always packed. It's easy to get to, and both a larger city and has more people going through it at any given time. Vegas also has decent attendance numbers for their NHL team, although I'm sure some of that has to do with the team being good a couple seasons ago.

Minny should definitely go east though. They already average the highest amount of travel of any team in the league... essentially because they're in the wrong conference.
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Re: NBA Expansion draft - Who do the Suns protect? 

Post#11 » by bwgood77 » Wed Jan 6, 2021 8:07 pm

wheezy wrote:
bwgood77 wrote:
WeekapaugGroove wrote:The NBA should expand. We're actually in the longest stretch in league history without expansion and nba talent is coming from all over the world so the leagues talent pool can handle it.

Seattle is a no brainier and I'd guess Las Vegas is the likely second spot. Both teams being out West would also allow the league to move either Minnesota or Memphis to the east (assuming they keep the east/west format).

But timing wise I'd say 2022 is the earliest and it's probably more like 2023. As others have mentioned they need time to get the ownership groups together and either build new or renovate facilities to get them NBA ready. Will be super interesting to see what type of rules they use for expansion, I wouldn't assume it will be exactly like last time.

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I'd do KC easily over Vegas. I'd put KC in the division with Denver and move Minnesota to the east in it's division with natural rivals in Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit.

KC lost their basketball team before and is a much bigger basketball city than Vegas would be. They also have the T Mobile center ready to go.

Louisville has a stadium ready to go too (and you could argue they'd be a big basketball city as well), but overall Vegas is just a huge draw. Hard to see financial justification of KC over them. Summer league is there and always packed. It's easy to get to, and both a larger city and has more people going through it at any given time. Vegas also has decent attendance numbers for their NHL team, although I'm sure some of that has to do with the team being good a couple seasons ago.

Minny should definitely go east though. They already average the highest amount of travel of any team in the league... essentially because they're in the wrong conference.


I think summer league is packed because of all the nba and draft analysts and number of people who make the trip to see their team play.

Vegas also just got an NFL team and before that, the NHL team. Fans may be stretched thin to go to all of those places. KC is always sold out for the Chiefs, and also lost an NBA team to Sacramento.

That being said, I know the NBA wants a team in Vegas but I think KC is probably more deserving. Louisville is a pretty good idea too. And possibly St Louis, who has lost two NFL teams.

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