I'd like to play in a Whatif league that comes as close to NBA rules as possible. I love the idea of progressive leagues, but I'd like to do one that doesn't start from the beginning of time and go from year to year to year. No offense, but there's a limited number of players in the '60's and '70's that I actually like playing.
Here's my basic outline:
1.) Each owner will draft an NBA Franchise name. The first person to post a franchise name as their team name (e.g. "Atlanta Hawks") would use that team name for every season they are in the league. If the owner were to drop out of the league, the team name would be assigned first-post, first-serve for anyone participating.
2.) The initial draft will be a season-specific draft. You would draft whatever season you want to build a 12-man roster. My initial thought for the cap is $45M. Maybe $42M?
3.) After that season, you would keep every single player from the previous season. In each consecutive season, there would be a draft of any players not owned by teams, or players from the most recent NBA season (e.g., 2015-16 NBA) that wouldn't be owned until WhatIfSports added those seasons to the database. You would have to drop a player to add a player.
4.) You would drop players after the draft, and you will only be able to add players in the next draft, so it will take a bit of foresight to be able to draft wisely. Owners would be able to pass on draft picks if they are satisfied with their teams.
5.) There would be trades before the season and after the season. Draft picks and seasons can be traded. The only condition for trading draft picks is that when picking a player with a newly acquired draft pick from someone else, you have to be under the cap at all times. In any trade, all teams must be under the cap after the trade is completed. (You could trade 14-15 James Harden for 94-95 Chris Webber and 14-15 Hassan Whiteside as long as your team is still under the cap after the trade is completed. Salaries do not have to match.)
6.) TERRITORIAL PICKS?: After an actual NBA draft is completed (I'm definitely not sure about this idea at all, let me know if you like this), owners might be able to reserve rookies before they have completed a season (perhaps like the old Territorial picks). For example, there would be a Territorial draft the day after the 2015 NBA Draft, and I could reserve Karl Towns' rookie season if I thought he was going to be really good. Or Jahlil Okafor. Or D'Angelo Russell, etc. You wouldn't be able to use 15-16 Karl Towns until WhatIf added that season to the database, but you would have automatic first dibs on that season, and you would drop a player and add 15-16 Karl Towns once that player was in the database. (I guess you don't have to add that player and drop one of your current players if you don't like how their rookie season turns out, but if you don't use your pick to add that player, that season becomes eligible for the regular draft.)
7.) NBA Draft Lottery: For the very first draft, we would do the Keno lottery or something like that. After each season of this league, playoff teams would receive draft selections based on reverse W-L. (worst teams get higher picks, best teams get lower picks). Non-playoff teams would be the NBA Draft Lottery, just like in real life. (Essentially, the draft order for each season would be determined exactly like the NBA Draft Lottery does.
OH YEAH! (Now I remember.)
8.) Waiver Wire: The waiver wire would be used to make trades during the season. For example, if you want to make a trade with someone during the season, and both teams would be under the cap after the trade, both teams would drop any players in the trade and pick up their new respective players using the waiver wire.
I'm definitely open to suggestions with this. What do you guys think? Any interest?
7/27/2015 3:12 PM (edited)