I compiled this for the Pacer list, but thought I would share. Let me know if anything is not correct.
Here's the information I have on the expansion draft. (Compiled from various articles)
The Charlotte Bobcats expansion draft will be Tuesday, June 22, just two days before the June 24 NBA Draft, unless the NBA Finals goes seven games. Then, the expansion draft will be the day before the NBA Draft.
The Bobcats are allowed to select a maximum of one player from each team. They must select a minimum of 14 players overall and can take a maximum of 29. They will then get the fourth and 34th picks in the regular draft. The Bobcats will get a list of players available for the expansion draft on June 12. Each NBA team can protect eight players, above and beyond their unrestricted free agents. The two teams in the NBA Finals won't have to submit their protected list until after the Finals.
All sorts of wheeling and dealing is possible. The Bobcats can make deals with various clubs not to draft a certain unprotected player, for example. They can make deals to draft an unprotected player and send him to another team. It's conceivable that they could even take one player and combine him with the fourth pick in the NBA draft to trade up two nights later. The Bobcats' general philosophy seems to be geared to bringing in younger, unproven players.
What makes this draft so interesting is GMs believe that a large, one-time loophole has been blown through the league's strict cap rules.
Here's the rule: The Salary of any player selected by an Expansion Team in an expansion draft and terminated in accordance with the NBA waiver procedure before the first day of the Expansion Team's first Season shall not be included in the Expansion Team's Team Salary, except, to the extent such Salary is paid, for purposes of determining whether the Expansion Team has satisfied its Minimum Team Salary obligation for such Season. (Article VII, Section 4)
That means the Bobcats could draft 29 players in the expansion draft, and two in the regular draft, then cut their team down to 15 for the start of the season and only have the 15 count against their cap. Of course they would still have to pay the salaries of the cut players.
It also means the Wizards, for example, could offer their first-round pick in the regular draft and $3 million (the maximum allowed by the collective bargaining agreement) to the Bobcats in exchange for Charlotte selecting someone like Christian Laettner in the expansion draft.
The move would take Laettner's $6.2 million salary for next season (his last) off the books in Washington, giving the Wizards roughly $10 million to use in free agency. The Bobcats then could waive Laettner and preserve all of their cap space for free agency (though they would still be on the hook to pay Laettner's salary minus the cash they got from Washington).
Could the Pacers do the same with Croshere or Pollard?
They could try, but the Bobcats most likely wouldn't accept. The Bobcats would have to pay Cro for three years, ($26,730,000) or Pollard for two ($12,067,187), even subtracting $3 million it wouldn't be worth it to them.
So could they just keep Croshere and play him?
The Bobcats salary cap is limited to two-thirds of an estimated $45 million cap next year. That would make it about $29.7 million. Taking someone like Cro ($8,260,000) would be close to a third of their cap. No way they would do that!
PROBABLE PROTECTED LIST (at this time)
JO
Al
Ron
Jamaal
Bender
Fred Jones
Foster
Reggie *
* Its been confirmed (below) that Reggie signed for two years with a player option for a third. There's also conjuncture that since Walsh knew this draft was upcoming Reggie's contract has some sort of poison pill. If so then we would probably protect Brezac.
FREE AGENTS (Free to sign with any team so they cannot be selected)
Anderson
Brewer
UNPROTECTED
Pollard
Croshere
Johnson
Brezac
J.Jones *
* http://www.dfw.net/%7Epatricia/contracts (Says he was signed for two years. The Pacers have an option on his 2nd year. I've also heard that he becomes restricted although her site doesn't sat that.
My guess is they would take Brezac. He fits what I'm reading the Bobcats want. He's young and cheap, plus he's 7'1 with potential.
Another thing, each team has to make at least one player available. This means teams like the Denver Nuggets that only have 6 players under contract for next year will still have to make a player available.
And another. The Bobcats can draft restricted free agents, but if they do the drafted player becomes unrestricted, meaning the player is free to sign with anyone.
Here's the information I have on the expansion draft. (Compiled from various articles)
The Charlotte Bobcats expansion draft will be Tuesday, June 22, just two days before the June 24 NBA Draft, unless the NBA Finals goes seven games. Then, the expansion draft will be the day before the NBA Draft.
The Bobcats are allowed to select a maximum of one player from each team. They must select a minimum of 14 players overall and can take a maximum of 29. They will then get the fourth and 34th picks in the regular draft. The Bobcats will get a list of players available for the expansion draft on June 12. Each NBA team can protect eight players, above and beyond their unrestricted free agents. The two teams in the NBA Finals won't have to submit their protected list until after the Finals.
All sorts of wheeling and dealing is possible. The Bobcats can make deals with various clubs not to draft a certain unprotected player, for example. They can make deals to draft an unprotected player and send him to another team. It's conceivable that they could even take one player and combine him with the fourth pick in the NBA draft to trade up two nights later. The Bobcats' general philosophy seems to be geared to bringing in younger, unproven players.
What makes this draft so interesting is GMs believe that a large, one-time loophole has been blown through the league's strict cap rules.
Here's the rule: The Salary of any player selected by an Expansion Team in an expansion draft and terminated in accordance with the NBA waiver procedure before the first day of the Expansion Team's first Season shall not be included in the Expansion Team's Team Salary, except, to the extent such Salary is paid, for purposes of determining whether the Expansion Team has satisfied its Minimum Team Salary obligation for such Season. (Article VII, Section 4)
That means the Bobcats could draft 29 players in the expansion draft, and two in the regular draft, then cut their team down to 15 for the start of the season and only have the 15 count against their cap. Of course they would still have to pay the salaries of the cut players.
It also means the Wizards, for example, could offer their first-round pick in the regular draft and $3 million (the maximum allowed by the collective bargaining agreement) to the Bobcats in exchange for Charlotte selecting someone like Christian Laettner in the expansion draft.
The move would take Laettner's $6.2 million salary for next season (his last) off the books in Washington, giving the Wizards roughly $10 million to use in free agency. The Bobcats then could waive Laettner and preserve all of their cap space for free agency (though they would still be on the hook to pay Laettner's salary minus the cash they got from Washington).
Could the Pacers do the same with Croshere or Pollard?
They could try, but the Bobcats most likely wouldn't accept. The Bobcats would have to pay Cro for three years, ($26,730,000) or Pollard for two ($12,067,187), even subtracting $3 million it wouldn't be worth it to them.
So could they just keep Croshere and play him?
The Bobcats salary cap is limited to two-thirds of an estimated $45 million cap next year. That would make it about $29.7 million. Taking someone like Cro ($8,260,000) would be close to a third of their cap. No way they would do that!
PROBABLE PROTECTED LIST (at this time)
JO
Al
Ron
Jamaal
Bender
Fred Jones
Foster
Reggie *
* Its been confirmed (below) that Reggie signed for two years with a player option for a third. There's also conjuncture that since Walsh knew this draft was upcoming Reggie's contract has some sort of poison pill. If so then we would probably protect Brezac.
FREE AGENTS (Free to sign with any team so they cannot be selected)
Anderson
Brewer
UNPROTECTED
Pollard
Croshere
Johnson
Brezac
J.Jones *
* http://www.dfw.net/%7Epatricia/contracts (Says he was signed for two years. The Pacers have an option on his 2nd year. I've also heard that he becomes restricted although her site doesn't sat that.
My guess is they would take Brezac. He fits what I'm reading the Bobcats want. He's young and cheap, plus he's 7'1 with potential.
Another thing, each team has to make at least one player available. This means teams like the Denver Nuggets that only have 6 players under contract for next year will still have to make a player available.
And another. The Bobcats can draft restricted free agents, but if they do the drafted player becomes unrestricted, meaning the player is free to sign with anyone.
Comment