Operation Sports Forums - Future of D-League, Summer League and Euroleague in 2K18/19

Feel like this needs a new thread because I’ve had this profound thought process where all of these features would magically integrate in future MyLeagues. Bear with me.

I understand if we can’t get a fully-fledged D-League or Euroleague integration, due to licensing, costs and man-hours needed to do scanning and adequate player creation/rating.

The best alternative is having these two feature be a primarily text-based simulation.

[EUROLEAGUE]

There is currently no good use of the Euroleague teams. They are there in name, but not in substance. They have vague contract details sure, but imagine if the following was possible:

Track European players, both pending free agent, those with NBA outs, and draft eligible prospects, enter into negotiations as they come off contract at the same time as the NBA like in real life.

Just this offseason, Malcolm Delaney, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Tomas Satoransky and Dario Saric have been signed from Euroleague teams, not to mention players that are on extended training camp rosters who were playing overseas last season.
Stash your current year draftees to Europe for developmental time, or have them sign a D-League contract to learn your teams system before joining the NBA team when they’re ready
In an expanded preseason, teams will play in NBA Global games against Euroleague teams.

This would be the only actual gameplay using Euroleague rather than text-based – each team plays 2 or 3 games against a random European team in addition to their regular preseason schedule. This would be another excellent use of the Euroleague license.

We have fairly detailed college/draft scouting in-game, and it’s all text-based, with scores, stats, simulated averages and projections. Why not for the Euroleague teams?

As in previous NBA 2K iterations, the Euroleague will be a simulation mode where you can see results and box scores from every game played, and keep an eye on your draft stashes and any big name players you may have interest in pursuing for the NBA or even Summer League.

[D-LEAGUE]

Licensing issues - The D-League might just be too much for 2K to fully cover (even without the Euroleague) – partly fictional is the way to go.
If the D-League license is too costly, call it something else – call it the NBA Minor League
For ease of use without all the affiliate rules, each team either has their real life affiliate, and the remaining non-affiliate teams will have a fictional team, or all 30 teams (and subsequent expansion teams) will have a fictional D-League Franchise.
Make use of a text-base D-League to track players. Attributes are fine, but I can get a better idea of the production of a players is there was some draft-type scouting available. Have the D-League be a text-based simulation for the purpose of giving some substance to the players and portion of those that are free agents.
Like in real life, it is so imperative that if young players can't get on the court, that they get meaningful minutes in the D-League. Previously when 2K had the D-League, your players never actually developed - it was a way just to get 2 free roster spots.
If a team assigns a players to their D-League affiliate, they will generally get a starting job and big minutes - this is going to affect their development - or at the least, keep them at a level that would otherwise stagnate if left at the end of the bench. In 2K, they will develop and a slightly lower rate playing 30+ mpg in the D-League than they would if they played 30+ minutes in the NBA, but its development nonetheless.
They can also get simulated injuries and fatigue from D-League minutes. If a player if fatigued, he may get called back up to the team - and put on the bench, but attend conditioning trainings etc.

As far as the actual non-NBA players in the D-League, here is a look at the 2015-16 season.

The 2015-16 D-League was composed of 363 players at season's end:

Stashed Draft Picks (11/363) = 3.03%
Ex-NBA vets (50/363) = 13.77%
Current NBA players/Call-ups (92/363) = 25.34%
D-League proper (210/363) = 57.85%

What we can see is that it is primarily a place for undrafted FAs and tryout players to make a start on their career, say 55%
There's roughly 15% of legitimate ex-NBA players, looking for a chance to get a call up
The remaining 30% is made up of NBA rostered players, players who made an NBA call up, and some stashed draft picks.

Here's how I would see the CPU in 2K18 compose the D-League, if they can't get licence/resources to capture at least the previous seasons' D-League rosters:

Minimum 11 players on a roster at any time - non-NBA affiliated - up to 15 spots
6 of 11 will be generated players, similar to draft class generation - These are your traditional D-League players - lesser known undrafted guys, or local tryout guys.
5 of 11 will be randomly assigned free agents from the pool, generally favoring younger guys
4 of 11 are yours to use - these 4 spots can be initially used for a maximum of 2 draft pick stashes - e.g. Satnam Singh or Xavier Thames, not always utilized, however.
The remainder of the 4 spots if one or both of the draft stash spot are not used are for any of your younger players to be placed on D-League assignments. This is not age-related, rather experience related e.g. Boban Marjanovic played in Austin last year. Max of 4 years NBA experience.

Each D-League team will generally have 15 players
11 will not belong to your NBA team, the remaining 4 are your spots for developmental players.
For those randomly assigned Free Agents – they will fit a certain criteria:

Under 74 OVR
9/10 times will be under 28 years old
1/10] times with be over 28 years old (for every 9 Jonathan Simmons, there is a Baron Davis)

I think this 5 Real free agent, 4 user players and 6 generated players is a good balance and reflection of D-League teams IRL.

You have the inherent use as a developmental team for the NBA squad, a means for fringe NBA or older vets to make a mark, and for local or undrafted guys to get a break.

[SUMMER LEAGUE]

Summer League, the way it is structured now, and with the truncated FA pool, is not reflective of real life.

The Summer League this year was something like:

2016 Draftees (52/453) = 11.48%
2015-16 Free Agents (20/453) = 4.42%
Stashed Picks (20/453) = 4.42%
Own NBA Players <26 y.o (61/453) = 13.47%
Undrafted 2016 (122/453) = 26.93%
Undrafted <2015 (99% played outisde USA) (81/453) = 17.88%
Ex-NBA players (99% played outside USA) (23/453) = 5.08%
From 15-16 D-League teams (74/453) = 16.34%

Summer League could well be programmed to automatically sort this out for your team, or:

Manually, you assign a squad of 20 with the following in order:

1. Current Draftees
2. Stashed picks
3. Own NBA players <26 y.o: Add any or all your NBA players that fit this criteria, some may not need to, but most do
4a. Undrafted players (Current year): 5 spots for undrafted players
4b. Undrafted players (Previous years): 3 spots for any undrafted players before the current draft (only becomes available in year 2)
5a. Current Free Agents/Ex NBA players: 3 spots for current year free agents (under 74 OVR), or players in FA pool (Under 74 OVR)
5b. From previous season D-League players: 2 spots for D-League players from your affiliate - generated or real player[/list]
This gives you a squad of 20 players (a bit more than IRL, most teams have squads around 15-18).

It gives you an opportunity to play with your rookies straight away, seeing how the work with your young guys, as well as checking out some undrafted players and free agents you may have your eye on, as well as scouting some D-League prospects.

At the end of the Summer League, you get an opportunity as part of general free agent negotiations to sign players 3 players for your D-League affiliate.

The D-League, when it starts up will simulate a D-League draft based on undrafted players, Free Agents matching the criteria, and some generated players to fill those remaining 8 spots for the new season.

As in real life, the D-League draft is a large pool of undrafted players, local players and players who were on teams in the previous season. Teams will draft in an 8 Round serpentine to make up the 8 players drafted.

Then, once NBA teams have finalized their opening day rosters, they may re-stash their picks (if any) from the previous year.

This would be the last step in forming the D-League team for the next season, but there are ways to make it more authentic. But to start, it’s a good way to enter the next year in MyLeague.