RealGM

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 Hornets 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.

Under contract:
Al Jefferson
Cody Zeller
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Nicolas Batum
Kemba Walker
Spencer Hawes
Frank Kaminsky
Jeremy Lamb
Troy Daniels
Jeremy Lin
Tyler Hansbrough
Marvin Williams
PJ Hairston
Aaron Harrison
Brian Roberts

I would leave the following players unprotected:
Al Jefferson
Spencer Hawes
Tyler Hansbrough
Marvin Williams
PJ Hairston
Aaron Harrison
Brian Roberts

Which means our 8 protected players are:
Cody Zeller
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Nicolas Batum
Kemba Walker
Frank Kaminsky
Jeremy Lamb
Troy Daniels
Jeremy Lin

Protected:
Kemba
Lin
Batum
Lamb
MKG
Zeller
Kaminsky
Al

Unprotected:
Roberts
Hairston
Daniels
Harrison
Marvin
Hansbrough
Hawes

Protect

Kemba
Lin
Batum
MKG
Cody
Frank
Hawes
Al

This magical expansion team is getting a massive break by being able to have the expansion draft after free agency and the draft. Usually it is done before those things, which severely limits the number of guys under contract, making it hard to get a decent pool of players.

Protected:

MKG
Zeller
Frank
Batum
Lin
Kemba
Lamb
Al

I would protect:
Noah Vonleh, Bismack Biyombo... Oh. Wait. Hold on.


I guess I'll have to go with:

Protected

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Cody Zeller
Kemba Walker
Frank Kaminsky
Nicolas Batum
Jeremy Lin
Jeremy Lamb
Al Jefferson


Unprotected

Spencer Hawes
Troy Daniels
Tyler Hansbrough
Marvin Williams
PJ Hairston
Aaron Harrison
Brian Roberts

Protected:
Al Jefferson
Cody Zeller
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Nicolas Batum
Kemba Walker
Frank Kaminsky
Jeremy Lin
Hugo the Hornet

If Hugo is an option, I would like to review my answer to include our jerseys, home floor, Dell Curry, Steph Ready, Eyrn Gradwell and the Honeybees.

Can we leave Ewing unprotected?

This is actually a really cool idea. I'm gonna have to agree with the majority of the other posters and protect the following:

Kemba
Batum
MKG
Zeller
Big Al
Lin
Lamb
Kaminsky

BlackOutBuzz wrote:Protected:
Kemba
Lin
Batum
Lamb
MKG
Zeller
Kaminsky
Al

Unprotected:
Roberts
Hairston
Daniels
Hairston
Marvin
Hansbrough
Hawes

/thread

If it was done at the normal time before the FA period I would have offered them a pick to take Al.

PJ is so bad, he is being unprotected twice in everyones list

BlackOutBuzz wrote:Protected:
Kemba
Lin
Batum
Lamb
MKG
Zeller
Kaminsky
Al

Unprotected:
Roberts
Hairston
Daniels
Hairston
Marvin
Hansbrough
Hawes

This.

I think Hawes at his contract could be a good asset. Al is an expiring and free agency is basically over so there's no reason to protect him. I'm definitely protecting Spencer over Al.

Protected

MKG
Kemba
Zeller
Kaminsky
Lamb
Batum
Lin
Hawes

Unprotected

Jefferson
Williams
Roberts
Hansbrough
Hairston
Harrison
Daniels

I think the expansion year will probably end up being in 2018-19. It will be really interesting to see who is on our roster and who we end up protecting at that time. Dell Curry was our 1st selection in the 1988 expansion draft, so you can bet there will be some good players available for the teams picking.

thesneakysneak wrote:PJ is so bad, he is being unprotected twice in everyones list

Ha! Good catch. I meant Harrison obviously, but either way is fine.