I'd like to know this about protection/unprotection of players: For exemple, if Portand decides not to protect Damon Stoudamire's contract, and Charlotte wants him, do they have to pay his regular salary for next year ($15,750,000) or do they have to renegociate his contract?
I can't wait for the expantion draft, it's gonna change a lot of teams, not just the Bobcats. As far as I know the Bobcats must pick up the entire contract, but are allowed to renegotiate (as all teams are able to do, but what player wants to lose money?) The Bobcats must select at least 14 signed players from the current teams. Each team can protect 8 players. The Bobcats can select only 1 player per team, and they take his entire contract. The cool part is if a restricted free agent is selected by the Bobcats that player would become an unrestricted free agent, yet would count towards the 14 selected players (so the Bobcats may want to do this so they don't have to kill their payroll with 14 castaways). The Bobcats will only have 2/3 the cap space (compared to the rest of the team) their 1st season and 3/4 their 2nd season... then they have full cap space from then on. If I were the Bobcats, I'd pick 6-8 players from the expansion draft (the rest would be RFA, and by leaving, would not costing Charlotte anything, as well as freeing the player from their team)... and the total salary would not exceed $20 million, so I'd pretty much get 1-2 well-known players, and the rest would be good roleplayers who I could get cheaply. Then I'd take my 2 draft picks, and sign a bunch of undrafted players and NBADL players. I'd stay as cheap as possible until a good free agent class came up...
That sounds like a plan. I'd like to see Charlotte try trading someone decent they get in the expansion draft for a mid 1st round pick. Everyone knows you win through building with youth - that's how Miami made the playoffs in their 4th season, and when Charlotte realized it they made it in their 5th season, same with Orlando. Starting their first year with 2 1st rounders instead of 1 will go a long way in a couple years, when these guys are their cornerstones.
