expansion draft

[elindholm]

Hmm, I just realized that the Suns are in a bit of a tight spot with respect to the expansion draft, now that they're adding two first-round rookies this season.

If the magic number is eight, which it usually is, then I see these players as being protected:

Marbury
Marion
Stoudemire
Johnson
Voskuhl (on his new contract)
Cabarkapa
Barbosa

That leaves one slot for either Outlaw, Tsakalidis, or Jacobsen (since obviously Hardaway will be left unprotected). Between those three, Tsakalidis is the most likely to be protected, I think. But I also think that Outlaw is fairly likely to be snapped up if he's available. Everyone is talking about trading Outlaw anyway, but somehow I think it will be sad if he leaves in the expansion draft. That just doesn't seem like a very positive way to end a relationship.

And if Jacobsen suddenly gets his act together this season, then the decision is even more difficult.

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by elindholm


That leaves one slot for either Outlaw, Tsakalidis, or Jacobsen (since obviously Hardaway will be left unprotected). Between those three, Tsakalidis is the most likely to be protected, I think. But I also think that Outlaw is fairly likely to be snapped up if he's available. Everyone is talking about trading Outlaw anyway, but somehow I think it will be sad if he leaves in the expansion draft. That just doesn't seem like a very positive way to end a relationship.

And if Jacobsen suddenly gets his act together this season, then the decision is even more difficult.

IF Jake doesn't perform this coming season, protecting him might be a moot point.

 

[elindholm]

IF Jake doesn't perform this coming season, protecting him might be a moot point.

I really think the Suns will try to keep Tsakalidis almost no matter how bad he looks this year. They need three centers on the roster. Let's be optimistic and say that they sign Voskuhl for at least a few years, so that's one of the three. Williams, assuming he is brought back, will be gone for sure next summer. It doesn't look especially likely that the Suns will add another free-agent center (Drobnjak, Cambpell, DeClercq) right now. And I don't think Cabarkapa will prove to be a credible center in the Western Conference.

So ... the Suns will head into next off-season with two centers on their roster, Voskuhl and Tsakalidis. Do they really punt Tsakalidis and put themselves in the position of needing two more? I doubt it. I think the Suns will make an effort to retain Tsakalidis even if they have no intention of playing him -- and I don't think that he'll get a more attractive offer from anyone else.

 

[fordronken]

After one of your players are chosen in an expansion draft, can't you pull the others out?

 

[elindholm]

After one of your players are chosen in an expansion draft, can't you pull the others out?

Yes, usually the rule is that each team loses a maximum of one player. It's who the one would be that is the dicey question.

 

[jbeecham]

Can teams select FA? or RFA?

Jake Tskalidis should be an UFA after this season if I am correct. So if the Suns waited to sign him until after the expansion draft then we wouldn't have to worry about protecting him.

So here's who will have a contract after next season:
Marbury
Penny
Marion
Amare
JJ
Casey
Outlaw (it will be his last year, which might make a team pick him)
Carbarkapa
Barbosa

Googs & JAKE both are in the last year of their contracts so they will be FA's, unless Jake is re-signed before the expansion draft. So that's 9 players under contract, plus maybe our draft pick (if the NBA draft happens before the expansion???).

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by jbeecham
Can teams select FA? or RFA?

No.

 

[JCSunsfan]

We haven't locked up Little Jake yet. The paper said today that he is going to look at other offers besides the Suns, and word is in San Antonio that they are interested.

If he's gone, we protect Casey and Big Jake. Bo will be left unprotected and would likely go unselected bc of his contract.

 

[jbeecham]

I didn't think so.

So then the # of players we have depends on the timing of the expansion draft. If it happens before the NBA draft & Free Agent signing period then we should only have 9 players on the roster (unless we sign a FA other than Voshkul to a multiyear deal). If it happens after the draft & FA signing then we could have 12 guys (or more) on the roster.

 

[jbeecham]

Originally posted by JCSunsfan
Bo will be left unprotected and would likely go unselected bc of his contract.

I could see Bo being selected just because of his contract. He'll be in his last year and I believe that the expansion team has to select a certain $ amount in the expansion draft around 25 million. Bo would cost them 5 million for 1 yr and then he'd be off the books.

 

[elindholm]

Jake Tskalidis should be an UFA after this season if I am correct.

No, he will be a restricted free agent. The fourth year for rookies is the team-option year; the fifth is the whole qualifying-offer/RFA thing.

So if the Suns waited to sign him until after the expansion draft then we wouldn't have to worry about protecting him.

Even if the Suns were to "dangle" him as a free agent (i.e. by not making the qualifying offer), they'd then be giving up any rights to match offers Tsakalidis might receive from other teams. It will be a much better strategy for the Suns to retain their rights and see how much it costs to keep him for themselves.

 

[elindholm]

(if the NBA draft happens before the expansion???)

I would guess that the expansion draft will happen before the regular draft. That way all teams can go into the regular draft knowing what they need, plus they won't have to protect the rookies they just drafted.

 

[scotsman13]

i think that the Suns will leave penny unprotected. in hopes that he will be gone while they can get some draw out of him and his money comes off the books in 2 years. that would greatly help the suns and penny can be a player that can give them a good base player for a couple of years.


so the suns will have these players protected.
Marbury
Marion
Amare
JJ
Voskuhl
Outlaw
Carbarkapa
Barbosa

leave casey and hardaway unprotected and tell charlotte that if they take hardaway you will give them 2 million in cash. you will save this much just having him off the books.

 

[slinslin]

Originally posted by elindholm
(if the NBA draft happens before the expansion???)

I would guess that the expansion draft will happen before the regular draft. That way all teams can go into the regular draft knowing what they need, plus they won't have to protect the rookies they just drafted.

It has to be. Charlotte has the 4th spot in the lottery. How can they draft someone if they don't even have a team?

 

[fordronken]

Penny will be left unprotected, regardless, because there is very little chance he will be chosen.

 

[SirStefan32]

At that point, Penny will only have a couple of years on his contract, and the expansion team is going to have to meet the minimum salary requirements, so I would not be surprised if they picked up Penny.

I am just saying that it's possible.

 

[hcsilla]

No way that an expansion team spends the half of their cap on Penny.

 

[Dback Jon]

May depend on who else is out there. Johnson may feel some pressure to at least have one or two marquee names on the team - and Penny is a marquee name.