I was just over at realgm and they were talking about next years (possible) expansion draft. Since we're a pretty deep team nowadays , we might have to give up some pretty good players. If only 8 players can be protected, which ones? Should we make some moves now, like trading players we might loose? Probably not but I don't like this, we go at least ten deep. Does anybody know how this would work?
Isn't an expansion draft usually held when a NEW team enters that league? Now the Hornets are MOVING but there are not starting over. Why is there a need for an expansion draft????
I think they were assuming that Charlotte will get a new team next year. You know, all this talk about Bird and his people buying a team...
The may be the rumor but it would take a couple of years to get where they can add another team and I really don't think its going to happen. Bird or no Bird, Charlotte has proven they cannot support a team. Whatever the case an expansion draft would be 2 or 3 years away if it happened at all.
Can someone explain exactly how it would work? Even if it's not soon, it's nice speculating which 8 we should protect. My 8: Francis Cat Griffin Ming Nachbar Mooch Cato Rice (10M ending contract) Mo Taylor has a long contract, but we don't need him. I'd rather have a C that makes the same amount, and would also rather have 10M in capsapce.
I think too many people are quick to dismiss Mo T. Yes, he doesn't rebound well. But he provides nice spacing with his jumpers, and he was an important part of a 45 win team a couple years ago. His absence was as much a factor for last year's abysmal record as anything else. Francis Mobley Ming Nachbar Taylor Griffin Thomas (if still here) Outside of that, I could care less. Yes, Rice has an expensive, expiring contract. But it's not like the Rockets will have cap room anytime soon, anyway.
Yao, Francis. Mobley,Griffin. Nachbar,Kt. Taylor, Maddox Please Help Yourself..... CATO, RICE, COLLIER, NORRIS.ETC
Francis, Cat, Griffin, Ming, Nachbar, Thomas, Rice, Morris would be my 8 to keep. Taylor, Cato, Moochie and their bloated long-term contracts can go. Taylor is a nice player, but no way is he worth the money he's being paid, especially when the team already has Kenny and Griffin. Rice should definitely be kept. I think having a player on the last year of their contract, which counts almost 10 million, would be great trade bait. Look at how much Dallas was able to get from Denver for Juwan Howard and his expiring contract.
How are expansion teams even supposed to have a chance? Its not like we are the only teams that can offer overpriced crap. Cato, Rice, Collier? LOL. That sucks for the expansion team.
Francis, Mobley, Griffin, Ming, Nachbar, KT, Taylor, Cato would be my protected ones. We'd probably lose Moochie, but no one would pick up Tito most likely....
I'd probably pick 2 Blazers. Someone from the grizz, the Bulls, the Hawks, the Mavs. If you're an expansion team, what's your criteria in picking players? Short contract or long contract?
haven, thats was superbly said! And for our guards to maximize their abilties they must have good spacing. Two years ago, Maurice Taylor was our key source for good spacing....for our guards. The benefits Maurice Taylor brings to this team go unseen by most, but every so often a keen eye will take notice and explain to you the exact reason why Maurice Taylors offensive capabilities are so important to this team.
Dude, did you watch any Hornets games the first 7 or 8 years in the league? It might have been more than that, but the first X amount of years in the league, the Hornets led the league in attendence and still would if they didn't have complete jerk-offs running the team. I think eventually New Orleans will stop supporting the hornets if the management/ownership dont change their act. These guys are horrible.
Thats why were blessed to have Les as a owner. Shinn is one of those owners that would never have signed the players the Rockets had no matter how good they are.
1. steve 2. griffin 3. cat 4. ming 5. nachbar 6. moochie 7. cato 8. kt we already played a season with out rice and moT. i think with our improvements they are not needed. i would be scared to lose Tmo, however.
All purpose solution to Charlotte expansion: In a few years, when the New Orleans fans have stopped supporting the Shinnridge Hornets, David Stern should take a page out of Bud Selig's book and contract the team. Simultaneously, he would award a new Charlotte expansion team to the Bird group. Then the expansion draft would solely consist of all the players from the newly disbanded New Orleans Hornets, allowing the other 28 teams to keep their players. It works for everyone: -Charlotte gets a competitive team with new, good ownership. -the NBA is ridded of a couple of crappy owners. -league-wide talent is not diluted. -New Orleans fans only have to put up with one perpetually underacheiving sports franchise every year. I guess Shinnridge might be upset, but hey, screw 'em. They've screwed everyone else!
Peter Uberoth, when he was commissioner of baseball felt that a new team should have to field an A level team three years before they were awarded a major league franchise. Two years before they had to have a A and AA team. One year before the had A, AA and AAA. now when they get the major league team they have a working minor league system and three years of drafting and developing talent. They have a framwork to build on, and when they get to the dispersal draft, they are looking to boost a young team or fill in holes, not build a team out of rejects. I know it doesn't work in basketball, but isn't that a cool idea.
Keep in mind: KT and T-Mo (and Francis if we don't extend him now) will be free agents. Assume we extend Francis, I'd protect: 1.) Francis 2.) Mobley 3.) Nachbar 4.) Rice (cap alleviation) 5.) Griffin 6.) Ming 7.) Cato 8.) umm... I'd be hesitant to protect MoT in this situation, because you'd be able to resign KT, but this would depend heavily on KT/MoT performance and KT contract demands. I think I'd protect either Moochie, Tierre, or Tito. It depends on how Tierre and/or Tito perform-if they prove capable of taking over backup PG you leave Moochie exposed, and hope to get out of his contract. If not, and the free agent backup PG market is slim (hard to tell right now), I guess we'd have to keep Moochie around.
