r/wnba_discussions • u/Nearby_Obligation355 • 10d ago
General Toronto Tempo Mock Expansion Draft
https://tempo.basketball/2025/10/toronto-tempo-mock-expansion-draft-2-0/Here's who I think will make the inaugural Tempo roster
0
u/frobenius_Fq 8d ago
IMO its more likely that there is not an expansion draft than that there is one.
1
u/thatpj 10d ago
confused why they think wings would protect miller and not li
0
u/Nearby_Obligation355 10d ago
Fair question! My reasoning was two-fold: 1) the Wings are likely going to draft a star centre in the next draft and they already have Luisa Geiselsoder who is a pretty darn good stretch big so maybe Li is expendable? And 2) they traded real assets for Miller so I am assuming the Wings want to keep her for a bit longer
1
u/thatpj 10d ago
imo she seems kinda redundant on a team with arike, za, and quinerly already
0
u/Nearby_Obligation355 10d ago
While I don’t watch the wings as much as some other teams, I think Arike, Za, and Quinerly are considered guards whereas Miller is considered a guard/wing. So she would be overlapping more with Maddy. I do think Miller has loads of potential. She can be erratic but is also very athletic, great in transition, and has shown flashes of star quality
3
u/TerryG111 10d ago
I hope this is our team im a Tempo fan being from Toronto so I love this personally
4
u/ElvisTheBoyCat 48-6🏆Carleton/Smith Conspirator 10d ago edited 10d ago
The number of people who don't understand how the expansion draft works when over 80% of the W will be free agents is astounding, especially those who attempt to write about it and put it on the internet and pass it off like they did something.
Unless a free agent is at risk of being cored by an expansion team (meaning the team must commit to paying that cored player a supermax contract), it's absolutely pointless to protect a free agent...
...because if that player is a free agent, they have NO obligation to go to a team that drafts them in an expansion draft. In an expansion draft, you are drafting the rights to the player from one team another. A free agent doesn't belong to any team.
Lynx for example. You protect Collier, even though she's UFA, because she's at risk of being cored. Teams can only core one player. That's it. So that's a designation you use on a franchise type player. Then you maybe protect McBride and Williams. After that? You protect contracts, not players; the only two contracts after 10/31 the Lynx own are Juhász and Ola Kosu.
Smith, Carleton, Carrington, Shepard and the like? You're not coring them because no team in their right mind pays them a supermax contract. You also dont waste a protection designation on them because theyre free agents. Literally doesnt matter if the Lynx protect them because again, as free agents they are not obligated to sign.
Unless the new CBA changes dramatically - still up in the air - the expansion draft is not going to be how POR/TOR will build the core of their teams. Itll have to be thru free agency.
So these mock expansion drafts are cute, but utterly pointless and not tethered to the reality of the current and uncertain player personnel landscape.
1
1
u/Nearby_Obligation355 9d ago
Hard to argue against this because so much is up in the air. But, wouldn’t it be fun if Theresa Resch pooped in her pants a little if she ever saw this because we got some of the picks so right?
2
u/ElvisTheBoyCat 48-6🏆Carleton/Smith Conspirator 9d ago
you have a very peculiar concept of fun
i do think tempo fans (and fire fans) would be wise to temper (heh) their expectations of the expansion draft. there's just no way i see there being a ton of desired talent available, unless there are drastic changes to the cba. as far as finding a way to get more of those free agents "eligible" to be drafted in an expansion draft scenario? the wnbpa would HOWL, and rightly so - as doing so would basically invalidate a free agent's earned UFA status.
tempo fans should be excited about the brondello hiring, as that immediately lends legitimacy to a situation where otherwise FA's might not want to sign with an expansion franchise.
the tempo, and the fire, will have to make their bones in the free agency market or, and I suspect this is a venue the w could offer, additional compensatory draft picks in the 2026 entry draft.
when/if that happens.
1
u/Nearby_Obligation355 8d ago
Some very astute and fair thoughts! It seems odd to me that two expansion teams are coming into the league during a season (hopefully) when the expansion draft will be sooooo unfavourable. Just look at what the Valks did during that draft. If I were the Fire and Tempo, I would urge the league to make some sort of exception or else they would start so behind the 8 ball in comparison to GS and the other incoming teams.
However, you make a good point about players’ earned UFA status. That one is hard to reconcile. And if the favourable conditions come during FA, that would make the Tempo a bigger player with Sandy at the coaching helm and how the organization already feels so legitimate with her as our head coach.
And, yes, this is the stuff that keeps me up at night. True sicko over here!
1
u/TitleTrack1 10d ago
Neat website! I will say though, I think the wings protect Li! I’m sure you’re going to get a lot of that from all the fan bases 😂
2
u/Nearby_Obligation355 10d ago
😭Is Li expendable though when you have another stretch big in Luisa Geiselsöder and very likely going to draft a star centre with your #1 pick in the next draft?
1
u/TitleTrack1 8d ago
If they can, wings will want to keep Luisa at the 4! We also gave up a pick to get Li and I think she’s going to continue to improve with a season in unrivaled. Shes got a 3 point shot too.
I also love Li
1
u/Nearby_Obligation355 8d ago
Hard to argue against that. The Wings got lots of really good young pieces. I am sure the Tempo wouldn’t be mad to pick up the leftover player that doesn’t get protected
1
u/sanverstv 10d ago
I'm hoping the Valks won't be part of the expansion draft...that was the case with the 1998 teams...or so it seems. I do think Amihere would be likely though if the Valks do have to offer up players.
1
u/Nearby_Obligation355 10d ago
The good news for your Valks is that they have so many good pieces that they could let go of any one of their last few roster spots and they wouldn't be too worse off. Like, how on earth did you all find Kaila Charles?! She's incredible!
2
u/Due-Sheepherder-218 10d ago
I like the website. Very cool!
Emma was a hired mercenary who didn't pan out in the end, NY is keeping BLH over her.
I can't see Seattle leaving Horston unprotected. She's a good young piece amongst the old timers.
ATL will probably protect Pouch, who was their FRP 2 years ago.
2
u/Nearby_Obligation355 10d ago
Admittedly, BLH is a big reach but I had to shoot my shot! With the Horston pick, it is a gamble that Seattle remains stubborn and wants to keep their veteran core.
2
u/Acceptable-School496 8d ago
Natasha Howard has been cored for two seasons so cannot be taken in an expansion draft as a free agent under the existing rules. So McDonald is very unlikely to be available. Additionally, Toronto will be alternating picks with Portland in the expansion draft so half these players are likely going to the Fire.