NBA expansion to Seattle is on the table

[Pinwheel1]

It almost sounds like you guys think the expansion draft would be this upcoming summer.
Isn't it more likely to occur the following summer?

 

[Shaboid]

Wouldn't we want to leave Plumlee off the list since he is going to be a free agent anyway? There will probably be a trade or we will resign him so it might not be relevant, but it should be considered, right?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Mexico City needs a team.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Really? What do you think Crabbe's ceiling is? I think he'll be nothing more than a role player. He's not starter material, IMO.

He could be a starter and 2nd option on a bad, non-playoff team (i.e. an expansion team), but no expansion team is going to want to pay him what he's making.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

Wouldn't we want to leave Plumlee off the list since he is going to be a free agent anyway? There will probably be a trade or we will resign him so it might not be relevant, but it should be considered, right?

This is all assuming the expansion draft is TODAY. It's not (obvi).

But if it was, the expansion team would gobble up Plumlee on his cheap rookie deal. They get one year of a decent starting center at a very cheap price, and then all the flexibility of owning his Bird Rights. Like what you see, re-sign him. Want to cut costs, let him walk or work a sign and trade for other young assets and future draft picks. For most teams, 2nd round picks are passed around like hookers at a used car salesman convention, but they have real value to expansion teams looking to fill out their rosters. Roll the dice on a bunch of young guys on cheap, non-guaranteed contracts and hope one or two stick.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

If expansion really is on the table, I would absolutely make a consolidation trade ASAP. Cash in on some of our young guys and get another major piece. That would make protecting 8 guys a lot easier.

Current roster:

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Aminu
Plumlee

Turner
Crabbe
Vonleh
Davis
Leonard
Ezeli
Bazz
Layman
PatCon
Montero?

So immediately I would expose Montero, PatCon, Layman, and Bazz. That leaves 11 guys.

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Aminu
Plumlee

Turner
Crabbe
Vonleh
Davis
Leonard
Ezeli

For me, I'd probably list these guys as for sure off the list:

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Turner

That leaves Aminu, Plumlee, Crabbe, Vonleh, Davis, Leonard, and Ezeli as trade bait. Most likely Ezeli wouldn't have much value until he shows he can stay healthy. If we could turn Aminu, Crabbe, and Plumlee into another very good player, preferably a power forward, that would be perfect. Let's say hypothetically we trad those three for Kevin Love and Channing Frye. So our protected 8 would be:

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Turner
Davis
Leonard
Vonleh
Love

With Frye, Ezeli, Montero, Layman, PatCon, and Bazz as unprotected. The only unprotected player that I'd worry about would be Ezeli. Maybe you expose Leonard and not Ezeli, depending on how healthy and how well he plays this year.

 

[santeesioux]

But how could they be getting an expansion team when the Blazers are moving up there?

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Yep, go back and look at previous expansion drafts. Expansion teams are looking for young, CHEAP talent. They'll take veterans, but only if they are on the last year of their current contract. They mostly just want enough guys to put a team on the floor until they can build through the draft. I mean, seriously, how competitive can you hope to be when your best player is someone else's 9th most valuable?

BNM

Yeah. Almost imagine you're an expansion team and expect to win about 20-25 games. Do you want $150 mil tied up in 2 players?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Yeah. Almost imagine you're an expansion team and expect to win about 20-25 games. Do you want $150 mil tied up in 2 players?

I'd want players that my team's fans would be excited to see. If I thought that his offensive game was ready to be featured, Crabbe would probably fit that bill. Turner not so much.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Yeah. Almost imagine you're an expansion team and expect to win about 20-25 games. Do you want $150 mil tied up in 2 players?

Are expansion teams required to meet the league minimum salary requirements? I seem to recall they are exempt for the first 2 or 3 years.

If so, all the more reason to avoid overpriced contracts. If you're going to be bad anyway, no point in being bad and expensive.

BNM

 

[dviss1]

A poor man's Klay Thompson. He just needs the shots, on an expansion team he'd get those.

More like a poor man's Wesley Matthews.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I'd want players that my team's fans would be excited to see. If I thought that his offensive game was ready to be featured, Crabbe would probably fit that bill. Turner not so much.

Crabbe's best move is the catch and shoot 3. Not exactly highlight reel material.

Outside of Dame and C.J., I think the three players an expansion team would covet the most are Harkless, Vonleh and Plumlee. Harkless and Vonleh are our two youngest players, and as already mentioned Plumlee is cheap this year and they'd hold his Bird Rights.

Plus, these are also our most prolific dunkers - something that usually gets the crowd going.

Harkless had 61 dunks in 1457 minutes last season. That's one dunk every 23.9 minutes of playing time.

Plumlee was next with 86 dunks in 2084 minutes - one dunk every 24.2 minutes.

Vonleh was 3rd (and seems to be picking up the pace in preseason) with 33 dunks in 1174 minutes - one dunk every 35.6 minutes.

Crabbe, not so much, with just 11 dunks in 2105 minutes. That's just one dunk every 191.4 minutes.

Crabbe may be the best of these players, but his game isn't very exciting and he'll make $3.5 million more this year than Harkless, Vonleh and Plumlee combined.

I'd definitely protect those three, but would consider leaving Crabbe unprotected due to his contract.

BNM

 

[Chris Craig]

Mexico City needs a team.

Man, that'd make it a lot harder to obey the NBA drug policies

 

[Chris Craig]

More like a poor man's Wesley Matthews.

Sad

 

[Chris Craig]

If expansion really is on the table, I would absolutely make a consolidation trade ASAP. Cash in on some of our young guys and get another major piece. That would make protecting 8 guys a lot easier.

Current roster:

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Aminu
Plumlee

Turner
Crabbe
Vonleh
Davis
Leonard
Ezeli
Bazz
Layman
PatCon
Montero?

So immediately I would expose Montero, PatCon, Layman, and Bazz. That leaves 11 guys.

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Aminu
Plumlee

Turner
Crabbe
Vonleh
Davis
Leonard
Ezeli

For me, I'd probably list these guys as for sure off the list:

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Turner

That leaves Aminu, Plumlee, Crabbe, Vonleh, Davis, Leonard, and Ezeli as trade bait. Most likely Ezeli wouldn't have much value until he shows he can stay healthy. If we could turn Aminu, Crabbe, and Plumlee into another very good player, preferably a power forward, that would be perfect. Let's say hypothetically we trad those three for Kevin Love and Channing Frye. So our protected 8 would be:

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Turner
Davis
Leonard
Vonleh
Love

With Frye, Ezeli, Montero, Layman, PatCon, and Bazz as unprotected. The only unprotected player that I'd worry about would be Ezeli. Maybe you expose Leonard and not Ezeli, depending on how healthy and how well he plays this year.

Frye? Love? No thanks

 

[Chris Craig]

Wouldn't we want to leave Plumlee off the list since he is going to be a free agent anyway? There will probably be a trade or we will resign him so it might not be relevant, but it should be considered, right?

That thought crossed my mind

 

[dviss1]

Sad

I'd rather have Wes than Crabbe right now.

#yesIsaidit

 

[Chris Craig]

I'd rather have Wes than Crabbe right now.

#yesIsaidit

Wouldn't we all

 

[Chris Craig]

Well if they do get an expansion team, I hope they come up with a new name, and the sonics rest in peace.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Crabbe's best move is the catch and shoot 3. Not exactly highlight reel material.

I'm thinking more of a Michael Redd-type lead scorer. Given that role, I think he could flourish, and fans of an expansion team would embrace that (I imagine).

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Well if they do get an expansion team, I hope they come up with a new name, and the sonics rest in peace.

I completely disagree here. Sonics name needs to be brought back, as well as all the Sonics team history brought back to Seattle. I hate the idea of the Sonics' team records having followed the franchise to Oklahoma City.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I'm thinking more of a Michael Redd-type lead scorer. Given that role, I think he could flourish, and fans of an expansion team would embrace that (I imagine).

I'm not seeing it. His peak two seasons, Michael Redd averaged more ppg than Dame did last year. Even on a crap team, do you see Allen Crabbe out scoring Damian Lillard?

That would be a 2.5x increase in scoring compared to last year. I know C.J.'s scoring took an even bigger leap last year, but his minutes also more than doubled. At 25.9 MPG, it's mathematically impossible for Allen Crabbe to double his minutes.

On a crappy team with no other quality scoring options, I could see Allen Crabbe averaging 20 - 22 ppg (like Tony Campbell did playing for the expansion Timberwolves), but I can't see him ever, under any circumstances scoring a Micheal Redd like 26 ppg. That would make him a borderline top 5 scorer in the league. His game just isn't that versatile and depends too much on others creating for him.

BNM

 

[riverman]

I'd be happy if they just brought the Stampede back to the D league ranks..parked them in Seattle and let jlprk be the commentator for the games...with the stipulation that they would be exclusively a Blazer minor league system

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I'm not seeing it. His peak two seasons, Michael Redd averaged more ppg than Dame did last year. Even on a crap team, do you see Allen Crabbe out scoring Damian Lillard?

That would be a 2.5x increase in scoring compared to last year. I know C.J.'s scoring took an even bigger leap last year, but his minutes also more than doubled. At 25.9 MPG, it's mathematically impossible for Allen Crabbe to double his minutes.

On a crappy team with no other quality scoring options, I could see Allen Crabbe averaging 20 - 22 ppg (like Tony Campbell did playing for the expansion Timberwolves), but I can't see him ever, under any circumstances scoring a Micheal Redd like 26 ppg. That would make him a borderline top 5 scorer in the league. His game just isn't that versatile and depends too much on others creating for him.

BNM

Homer harder, dude. You'll get there. Try the rose-garden-colored glasses; you'll see the 26 ppg then...

 

[PDXFonz]

This is a good thing. Probably reduces travel as it would force realignment.

Thanks Martha.

 

[ripcityboy]

Think it's a good idea. If only for the fact that it brings back the I-5 rivalry and will kill off any potential Blazer move. Plus, if Sonics fans demand Calabro back we might be able to work a draft pick out of them.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Hate Seattle or not the I-5 rivalry is needed! I would be very excited to see this happen.

 

[BlazerWookee]

We should wait to have this conversation until after we trade for Cousins.

So... Never?

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[BlazerWookee]

The only reason I posted that was because I just got an email from Sly and Denny saying they want S2 to now be all rainbows and unicorns. No way any of you geeks.....errrr.......cool guys would use this post by me to be rude or disrespectful to the mother of my children.

"Your," lol...