League Contraction Update

[garbageman]

Now that the votes have taken place, here is the rough plan and timeline for league contraction.

Starting after this year's finals, we will be eliminating the following teams:

Boston Celtics
Charlotte Bobcats
Vancouver Grizzlies
Golden State Warriors

The Portland Trailblazers will stay in the league as a stewardable team for the following reasons:
1. They're the only team with a pick outstanding (Pacers have it), and keeping them around solves the issue of how to do that easily.
2. I'd like to keep at least one open team so we don't have to do an expansion draft right after contracting. As it is, I've got a maybe who's favorite team is coincidentally the Blazers (though it's open season for anyone who wants to refer someone until that maybe converts).
3. It leaves us with an even amount of teams.
4. Portland had the fewest fun assets available for a contraction draft.

The contraction draft will take place in the offseason BEFORE the rookie draft. Players and any non-contraction team draft picks owned by contraction teams are eligible to be drafted. Passing is also a legitimate draft choice. I will allow contraction draft picks to be traded just as rookie draft picks can be traded. Anyone acquired in the contraction draft can also be traded immediately.

After the contraction draft, I will deactivate the 4 contracted teams and realign the divisions (pending vote). Then, we will proceed with everything as normal (the draft lotto might get janky, I'll figure that out on the fly), until the playoffs which will be limited to 12 teams.

[garbageman]

I will do the league contraction draft (and video broadcast to Skype) tomorrow at noon central. We'll start the contraction draft on Monday at 8am and run it like the regular draft (2 hours per pick, 8am-10pm are active hours). It will only go one round.

Here are the players/assets you can draft.

BOSTON CELTICS
---------------------
Joseph Kish
Larry Maria
Arthur Cornish
Norris Turney

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
---------------------------
Christopher Fortunato
Thomas Minter
James Kirkendall
Mark Barr
Michael Hunt
Tony Wilson
Anthony Badger
Hollis Wiley
2032 Wizards 1st
2032 Nuggets 1st

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
-------------------------------
Ernest Long
Elden Frederick
Williams Armstrong
Jame Hector
Jordan Johnson
Charles Giguere
Clifton Cage
Ronald Haile

VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES
-----------------------------
Maynard Runyan
A.C. Williams
Felix Ireland
Jack Fredericks
Renato Mosher
Nathan Ridgeway


Passing is also a viable option if you don't want any of these players. Any unclaimed players will become free agents. If either of the picks go unclaimed, they will go to the highest bidder via silent auction that ends at 10 pm the night before the actual draft starts (TBD).

Any players or picks acquired in the draft are eligible for trade immediately. Any players can be acquired regardless of cap situation.