Expansion Draft Scenario -- Who would you protect?

[Texas Chuck]

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 Pacers 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.

[Scoot McGroot]

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 Pacers 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.

When should we "project" it taking place? After this upcoming season as an expansion draft would, or right now after free agency as if it were magically dropped in now?

[Texas Chuck]

Magically right now, Scoot.

[Scoot McGroot]

Magically right now, Scoot.

K. So no scheming around free agents, and whatnot. Makes it uber tough as we have a ton of guys that would be picked with small contracts/usable value, but would otherwise be protected as free agents.

Protect
Paul George
George Hill
Myles Turner
Monta Ellis
CJ Miles
Joe Young
Rodney Stuckey
Solo Hill or Lavoy Allen...I won't argue, could go either way

So, that leaves as unprotected:
Chase Budinger
Ian Mahinmi
Jordan Hill
Shayne Whittington
Either of Solo Hill or Lavoy Allen

[Moooose]

Interesting. I'd try.

PROTECTED:

Paul George
George Hill
Monta Ellis
Myles Turner
Joe Young
Jordan Hill
Rodney Stuckey
Lavoy Allen

UNPROTECTED:

CJ Miles
Ian Mahinmi
Shayne Whittington
Chase Budinger
Solomon Hill

Wanted to keep Solo but I'd go with Allen.

[Wizop]

not sure I'd protect Ellis given his age.

[Miller4ever]

^^He's still a valuable asset. Scoot's list looks like what I'd do, except I'd definitely protect Lavoy.

[pacers33granger]

not sure I'd protect Ellis given his age.

Agreed. An expansion team likely wouldn't want Ellis for numerous reasons. Age, length of contract, possibility to be a malcontent. If the rules are the same for when the Bobcats had their expansion draft, their salary cap would be limited to 46.2 mil (66% of 70 mil). So if they took Ellis they'd be spending almost 25% of their cap on him in the first year.

So with that said my list would probably look like this:

PROTECTED:

Paul George
George Hill
Myles Turner
Joe Young
Ian Mahinmi
CJ Miles
Lavoy Allen
Solomon Hill

UNPROTECTED:

Rodney Stuckey
Jordan Hill
Shayne Whittington
Chase Budinger
Monta Ellis

We're likely to lose someone no matter what since we'll have decent cheap players available. I'd prefer to lose Hill over Mahinmi since Mahinmi has been a great lockerroom guy. Similarly, I'd prefer to lose Stuckey over Miles. Love Stuckey, but he's paid almost twice as much and doesn't provide shooting. The expansion team would be looking for young guys, so I'd take the chance that they don't want Hill, Stuckey, or Ellis.

[MNPacersfan]

PROTECTED:
Paul George
George Hill
Myles Turner
Joe Young
Rodney Stuckey
Lavoy Allen
Solomon Hill
Monta Ellis

UNPROTECTED:
Ian Mahinmi
CJ Miles
Jordan Hill
Shayne Whittington
Chase Budinger
Primoz Brezec

[basketballwacko2]

Magically right now, Scoot.

I've been saying that the league should expand by 2 teams. Move Memphis and New Orleans to the East and put a team in Seattle and one in Las Vegas.

Then have an expansion draft that limits those teams to picking from the Western Conf teams. This would help to balance the league a bit.

[basketballwacko2]

Magically right now, Scoot.

K. So no scheming around free agents, and whatnot. Makes it uber tough as we have a ton of guys that would be picked with small contracts/usable value, but would otherwise be protected as free agents.

Protect
Paul George
George Hill
Myles Turner
Monta Ellis
CJ Miles
Joe Young
Rodney Stuckey
Solo Hill or Lavoy Allen...I won't argue, could go either way

So, that leaves as unprotected:
Chase Budinger
Ian Mahinmi
Jordan Hill
Shayne Whittington
Either of Solo Hill or Lavoy Allen

Don't see anything wrong with that, I'd Keep Allen.

[SmashMouthRod]

Protected
Paul George
Myles Turner
George Hill
Joe Young
Cj Miles
Jordan Hill
Rodney Stuckey
Monta Ellis

UnProtected
Lavoy Allen
Solomon Hill
Ian Mahinmi
Shayne Whittington
Chase Budinger