Baltimore - Las Vegas Trade (7/8/17)

[Symmetrik]

No, you missed what I said.

Scenario 1:
Wraiths have 16 active players.  They can only protect 12, leaving 4 active players exposed.  Lets say I got two and Vegas got two.  Next day Vegas trades their whole draft for 4 more of the Wraiths active players. 

Philly: 2 active players, Vegas: 6 active players

Scenario 2:
Wraiths have 16 active players.  Vegas says you know what, we don't think free things, I will give you my whole draft for 4 players ahead of the expansion draft.  Wraiths now protect their 12 remaining players.

Philly: 0 active players, Vegas: 4 active players

Unless these 4 players were the exact 4 players the Wraiths were going to leave unprotected, Vegas lost 2 active players by completing this trade prior to the expansion draft.  Trading before the expansion draft is costing them value, period, there is no debate about it.  It is costing me value, considerably more value than them.  There were no rules set up to allow or not allow trading by expansion teams prior the expansion draft.  I bet this will be revisited next expansion after this though...

The Wraiths wouldn't make that trade after the expansion draft though. With 16 actives, you're going to lose 4 actives for nothing. So you trade them before the draft, before you lose them for nothing. Then you don't trade any actives away after the draft because you're not at risk of losing them for nothing.