Mock 2020 expansion draft [NBC Sports model]

[DeathLineup]

(Adjusted) Key rules for the expansion draft:
1. Draft picks: Nos. 5 and 35 picks in the 2020 NBA draft
2. Expansion teams operate at 80% ($92.8 million) of the league-wide salary cap ($116 million) their first season and 90% of the league-wide salary cap their second season. The usual salary floor applies.
3. Expansion teams draft without regard to the salary cap.
4. Expansion teams can waive any selected player before the start of the season, and his salary doesn’t apply toward the salary cap and luxury tax. Essentially, expansion teams get unlimited amnesty provisions with selected players before the start of the season.
5. Incumbent teams can offer draft compensation to entice expansion teams to select certain players.

Here’s a tracker of all unprotected players:

Spoiler:

NBC Sports link: https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/03/20/mock-nba-expansion-draft-picking-the-seattle-supersonics-and-flint-tropics/amp/

[Texas Chuck]

This seems really disrespectful of all the work put into the existing project just because the crowd-sourced expansion list isn't to your personal liking.

edit so people understand why I'm taking this position--from the other project:

The list of unprotected players feels far from realistic for me. CP3 is an All-Star this season. And an expansion team can just get him for nothing? The hell. I don't think the actual NBA world works this way.

I am personally encouraging everyone to support babyjax's RealGM version.

[DeathLineup]

This seems really disrespectful of all the work put into the existing project just because the crowd-sourced expansion list isn't to your personal liking.

I am personally encouraging everyone to support babyjax's RealGM version.

The hell?

The season is in hiatus. We got nothing to talk about. So what's wrong with having two mock draft games? One in RealGM model and another in outsourced model? I don't see any.

And babyjax13 has done a great work. Nothing but respect.

[Texas Chuck]

I've said what I had to say. I didn't lock your thread, but am endorsing the existing project that a lot of time and effort was put into.

[jayjaysee]

The name that stood out to me was Adams actually. I understood CP because of his multi year contract and age.

[getrichordie]

The name that stood out to me was Adams actually. I understood CP because of his multi year contract and age.

Expansion team likely wouldn't take him because he has one year left on his contract and then he's UFA. OKC is wanting to move on from him anyway unless he takes a super team-friendly deal.

[DeathLineup]

The name that stood out to me was Adams actually. I understood CP because of his multi year contract and age.

Some of the unprotected players in the other thread really don't make sense.

CP3 and Valanciunas for sure will be protected. Adams and Randle should be protected over their teammates. And I believe Iguodala would be protected, Olynyk is the odd man out in Miami.

[puppa bear]

The name that stood out to me was Adams actually. I understood CP because of his multi year contract and age.

Some of the unprotected players in the other thread really don't make sense.

CP3 and Valanciunas for sure will be protected. Adams and Randle should be protected over their teammates. And I believe Iguodala would be protected, Olynyk is the odd man out in Miami.

I said it may be Iggy because KO has a player option & no other Heat fan had weighed in - happy to have another fan have an opinion. Either could be unprotected, but the reality is that with Leonard a UFA and no other big they probably need to protect KO. Plus KO may just opt out and be a UFA, meaning Iggy has to become the unprotected player.
Also, IMO no expansion team is going to pick the player who sat out 1/2 a season in Memphis because the team wasn’t a contender.

With that said, I’m happy for the option to do the second mental exercise - but I think this one should be with the two-team draft, not just a 1-team. This makes it quite different. I like the NBC idea of Flint Tropics and the Seattle Sonics, two different but specific fan bases to try to build teams around their expectations. Flint will need to sell tickets ASAP and will try for riskier stars (Griffin, etc), while the Sonics will want to build culture through solid vets (Love is a good pick-up for them) and long-term youth picks.

[DeathLineup]

Team: Las Vegas Secrets

1. Blake Griffin
2. DeAndre Jordan
3. Dennis Smith Jr.
4. Omari Spellman
5. TJ McConnell
6. Mike Scott
7. James Ennis III
8. Rodney McGruder
9. Grayson Allen
10. Carsen Edwards
11. Abdel Nader
12. Keita Bates-Diop
13. Cheick Diallo
14. Shaquille Harrison
15. Gary Clark

Draft pick no. 5: RJ Hampton
Draft pick no. 36: Cassius Stanley

PG: Smith | McConnell | Edwards
SG: Hampton | McGruder | Allen | Stanley
SF: Ennis | Nader | Bates-Diop
PF: Griffin | Scott | Diallo
C: Jordan | Spellman

First things first, I must sell tickets. My first two picks are two of the most marketable players available. Now I can market the team as "Lob City" too. Next, I pick two young players that I like the most. Griffin, Jordan, Smith, Spellman and Hampton will be the "core". I want to have a pretty competitive first season and build a good culture too. So I pick four veteran role players. The remaining picks are fliers. I will cut the last two picks in order to sign Hampton and Stanley. I expect to have about $5 million of free cap space after completing all moves.

[HartfordWhalers]

I read the team name as the "Selects". Thought it was a really great team name; good enough that I was starting to post here just to say that. Re-read and saw the secrets, which imo, is a bit too reminiscent of a female deodorant.

[BarbaGrizz]

Ok, I'll bite this one too as I'm really bored.

TJ McConnell / Ryan Arcidiacono / Vlatko Cancar
(Deni Avdijia) / Grayson Allen / Rodney McGruder
Gordon Hayward / Isaac Bonga / Justin Jackson
Larry Nance Jr. / Trey Liles / Alen Smailagic
(Luka Garza) / Isiaiah Hartenstein / Dewan Hernandez

5th pick: SG/SF Deni Avdijia
35th pick: Luka Garza

[DetroitDon15]

The Pistons won’t give basically an unprotected first to get out of Griffins contract. I completely see a Tony Snell being exposed too.

[babyjax13]

This seems really disrespectful of all the work put into the existing project just because the crowd-sourced expansion list isn't to your personal liking.

edit so people understand why I'm taking this position--from the other project:

The list of unprotected players feels far from realistic for me. CP3 is an All-Star this season. And an expansion team can just get him for nothing? The hell. I don't think the actual NBA world works this way.

I am personally encouraging everyone to support babyjax's RealGM version.

Appreciate the support, although I don't think that was the intent. To Deathlineup, I think you might get better participation AFTER the one that is currently running has kind of run its course, and it would definitely be interesting to compare (although I'm not seeing gigantic differences in the lists, if I'm being honest, so it might end up being substantially similar).

[DeathLineup]

This seems really disrespectful of all the work put into the existing project just because the crowd-sourced expansion list isn't to your personal liking.

edit so people understand why I'm taking this position--from the other project:

The list of unprotected players feels far from realistic for me. CP3 is an All-Star this season. And an expansion team can just get him for nothing? The hell. I don't think the actual NBA world works this way.

I am personally encouraging everyone to support babyjax's RealGM version.

Appreciate the support, although I don't think that was the intent. To Deathlineup, I think you might get better participation AFTER the one that is currently running has kind of run its course, and it would definitely be interesting to compare (although I'm not seeing gigantic differences in the lists, if I'm being honest, so it might end up being substantially similar).

I just want to say that you have done a great work babyjax. I'm glad that you understand that I mean no harm. That mod is creating a false narrative. Ignore him.

[rugbyrugger23]

Team: The San Diego Saints

Owner: Joseph Tsai

Coach: Magic Johnson

Expansion Draft::
1. Griffin (waived)
Pistons offer lotto protected FFRP.
2. Wall (waived)
Trade: (as part of deal to draft Wall)
2020 #4 + 2022 FRP (unprotected) + 2021 FRP Swap Rights + FFRP via Pistons (from Griffin deal)

For

Beal: 28.751

3. Portis: deny team option
4. Temple: deny team option
5. Ojeleye: deny team option
6. Nance Jr.: traded to GSW for 11.709 TPE
7. Goodwin: waive NG contract
8. Mulder: waive NG contract
9. Clemons: waive NG contract
10. Q. Cook: waive NG contract
11. D. Miller: waive NG contract
12. Nader: deny team option
13. Frazier: deny team option
14. Pelle: waive NG contract
15. Diallo: deny team option
16. Metu: waive NG contract
17.Hernandez: waive NG contract
18. Tucker: waive NG contract
19. Zeller: 15.415
20. Hood: 6.003
21. J. Green: 5.005
22. McConnell: 3.5
23. G. Allen: 2.545
24. WCS: 2.286
25. Spellman: 1.988
26. Thanasis: 1.701
27. James: 1.518
28. KBD: 1.663
29. Dunn: RFA

Total: just over 70mil

2020 Free Agency:: Magic and Beal recruit Davis just south in CA to San Diego with a max contract.

Lineup::
C: Zeller
F: Davis
F: Hood
G: Beal
G: Dunn
6. J. Green
B: McConnell, Allen, WCS, Spellman, KBD, James, Thanasis

2021 Free Agency:: Magic, Davis, Beal, and Thanasis recruit Giannis to San Diego with a max contract.

Lineup::
C: Vet FA
F: Davis
F: Giannis
G: Beal
G: Dunn

[Laimbeer]

Isn't it really unlikely Nance would be unprotected?

[DeathLineup]

Isn't it really unlikely Nance would be unprotected?

It's indeed a head-scratcher to see Nance being unprotected.

But if the Cavs are determined to have a clean cap sheet for next season, the easiest way to get it is by unprotecting Nance and Love. Why not unprotect Drummond? Because he is reportedly likely to opt out.

[jayjaysee]

Assuming my tax line goes with the leagues tax line, I won’t be paying the tax but will be far over the cap.

Larry Nance
Al Horford
Isaiah Hartenstein
Alen Smailagic
Omari Spellman
Gordon Hayward
Dzanan Musa
Keita Bates-Diop
Chandler Hutchinson
Isaac Bonga
Reggie Bullock
Mike Conley
Elie Okobo


5. Cole Anthony.
35. Some upperclass man. Maybe Nwora, Tillie, Bey.. Whoever.

Team looks way too good for an expansion team.

[DeathLineup]

Assuming my tax line goes with the leagues tax line, I won’t be paying the tax but will be far over the cap.

I have the same question too. Can the expansion team go over their determined cap? What's their tax line?

My team would be very different if I'm allowed to cross the determined cap.

[Texas Chuck]

Assuming my tax line goes with the leagues tax line, I won’t be paying the tax but will be far over the cap.

I have the same question too. Can the expansion team go over their determined cap? What's their tax line?

My team would be very different if I'm allowed to cross the determined cap.

Exceeding the cap is legal. As is paying the tax.