If the NBA added the Spirits & Colonels from the ABA, here’s my proposed alignment

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Divusion

Philadelphia
Boston
NYK
NYN
Washington
Buffalo
Cleveland

Central Division

Indiana
Detroit
Milwaukee
Chicago
Kentucky
Atlanta
New Orleans

Western Conference

Midwest Division

St. Louis
Denver
Kansas City
Houston
San Antonio

Pacific Division

Los Angeles
Golden State
Portland
Seattle
Phoenix

In 1980, Minnesota & Vancouver ALSO (along with Dallas from our timeline) join. Here’s that alignment
Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Philadelphia
Boston
NYK
NJN
Washington
Cleveland

Central Division

Indiana
Kentucky
Atlanta
Minnesota
Detroit
Chicago
Milwaukee

Western Conference

Midwest Division

St Louis
Kansas City
San Antonio
Houston
Dallas
Utah
Denver

Pacific Division

Vancouver
Seattle
Portland
Los Angeles
Golden State
San Diego
Phoenix

I suppose in 1976, New Orleans could’ve gone to the Western Conference in the Midwest Division

(06-09-2026 03:24 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  If the NBA added the Spirits & Colonels from the ABA, here’s my proposed alignment

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Divusion

Philadelphia
Boston
NYK
NYN
Washington
Buffalo
Cleveland

Central Division

Indiana
Detroit
Milwaukee
Chicago
Kentucky
Atlanta
New Orleans

Western Conference

Midwest Division

St. Louis
Denver
Kansas City
Houston
San Antonio

Pacific Division

Los Angeles
Golden State
Portland
Seattle
Phoenix

That’s 14 in the East and 10 in the West—that would hardly work. 4 divisions of 6 seems more like it:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Divusion

Philadelphia
Boston
NYK
NYN
Washington
Buffalo

Central Division

Cleveland
Indiana
Detroit
Milwaukee
Chicago
Kentucky

Western Conference

Midwest Division

Atlanta
New Orleans
St. Louis
Kansas City
Houston
San Antonio

Pacific Division

Los Angeles
Golden State
Portland
Seattle
Phoenix
Denver

Muskie: That is WAY better! Care to improve my 1980 alignment?

(06-09-2026 03:31 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  In 1980, Minnesota & Vancouver ALSO join. Here’s that alignment
Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Philadelphia
Boston
NYK
NJN
Washington
Cleveland

Central Division

Indiana
Kentucky
Atlanta
Minnesota
Detroit
Chicago
Milwaukee

Western Conference

Midwest Division

St Louis
Kansas City
San Antonio
Houston
Dallas
Utah
Denver

Pacific Division

Vancouver
Seattle
Portland
Los Angeles
Golden State
San Diego
Phoenix

Why is Vancouver being added in 1980?

The Colonels should have been included. I may be biased though

Go Colonels!

Goofus: Vancouver had planned on applying in 80
Len: I have Kentucky in my 80 alignment

(06-13-2026 04:09 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Eastern Conference

Atlantic Divusion

Philadelphia
Boston
NYK
NYN
Washington
Buffalo

Central Division

Cleveland
Indiana
Detroit
Milwaukee
Chicago
Kentucky

Western Conference

Midwest Division

Atlanta
New Orleans
St. Louis
Kansas City
Houston
San Antonio

Pacific Division

Los Angeles
Golden State
Portland
Seattle
Phoenix
Denver

Then once the Braves relocate to San Diego (and eventually Los Angeles), the Jazz to Utah, and Kings to Sacramento, Atlanta moves into the Eastern Conference. Denver and Phoenix would join the Midwest.

Dallas, Minnesota, Charlotte, Orlando, and Miami come in throughout the 1980s and early 1990s; Phoenix moves back to the Pacific but aside from that the expansion teams can space limit reasonably well.

Vancouver (now Memphis) and Toronto push the league to 31. The new Charlotte Hotnets push the league to 32:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Divusion

Philadelphia
Boston
New York
Brooklyn
Washington
Toronto
Orlando
Miami

Central Division

Cleveland
Indiana
Detroit
Milwaukee
Chicago
Kentucky
Atlanta
Charlotte

Western Conference

Midwest Division

Oklahoma City
St. Louis
Houston
San Antonio
Dallas
Minnesota
Memphis
New Orleans

Pacific Division

Los Angeles
Golden State
Portland
Denver
Phoenix
Utah
LA Clippers
Sacramento

I would suspect the NBA would likely still be looking at Seattle and Las Vegas for expansion later this decade and begin shifting towards a 6x6 alignment.

This exercise reminds me of one mt favorite geography quirks: Atlanta is closer to Chicago than Miami.

(06-13-2026 09:42 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Muskie: That is WAY better! Care to improve my 1980 alignment?

Here’s your league after Buffalo moves to San Diego, New Orleans moves to Utah, and the Dallas expansion team joins in 1980.
Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Philadelphia
Boston
NYK
NYN
Washington
Atlanta

Central Division

Cleveland
Indiana
Detroit
Milwaukee
Chicago
Kentucky

Western Conference

Midwest Division

Denver
Utah
St. Louis
Kansas City
Houston
San Antonio
Dallas

Pacific Division

Los Angeles
Golden State
Portland
Seattle
Phoenix
San Diego

Fast forward and the Clippers move to LA has no divisional impact. The Kansas City Kings move to Sacramento just results in the Pacific being the 7 member division.

The 1988 and 1989 expansions place Charlotte in the Atlantic, Miami and Orlando in the Central, and Minnesota in the Midwest.

In 1995, Toronto becomes the 8th member of the Atlantic and Vancouver becomes the 8th member of the Pacific.

In 2001 Vancouver moving to Memphis just means a shift to the Midwest.

The relocation of the Charlotte Hornets to New Orleans breaks the model and I think at that point they go to 6 divisions—for their 31 teams unless there was enough advance that a new Charlotte franchise was on its way, in which case, the Hornets stay in their division until the Bobcats come on line.

The result is:

pacific: SEA, POR, GSW, SAC, LAC, LAL, PHX, UTAH
Midwest: DEN, HOU, SA, DAL, MIN, STL, MEM, NO

central: MIL, CHI, IND, CLE, DET, KY, ORL, MIA
Atlantic: TOR, BOS, NYK, NJN, PHI, WASH, CLT, ATL

SEA to OKC shifts DEN to the pacific and OKC joins the central.

(06-15-2026 05:30 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(06-13-2026 09:42 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Muskie: That is WAY better! Care to improve my 1980 alignment?

Here’s your league after Buffalo moves to San Diego, New Orleans moves to Utah, and the Dallas expansion team joins in 1980.
Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Philadelphia
Boston
NYK
NYN
Washington
Atlanta

Central Division

Cleveland
Indiana
Detroit
Milwaukee
Chicago
Kentucky

Western Conference

Midwest Division

Denver
Utah
St. Louis
Kansas City
Houston
San Antonio
Dallas

Pacific Division

Los Angeles
Golden State
Portland
Seattle
Phoenix
San Diego

Fast forward and the Clippers move to LA has no divisional impact. The Kansas City Kings move to Sacramento just results in the Pacific being the 7 member division.

The 1988 and 1989 expansions place Charlotte in the Atlantic, Miami and Orlando in the Central, and Minnesota in the Midwest.

Where are Minnesota & Vancouver in 1980? I’d have Minnesota in the Cetral & Vancouver in the Pacific

I tried to keep things closer to reality. In 1980, the NBA added Dallas—why would they take Vancouver and Minnesota instead?

(06-15-2026 09:28 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I tried to keep things closer to reality. In 1980, the NBA added Dallas—why would they take Vancouver and Minnesota instead?

Both had planned on applying for teams. Check my thread on it. (Search threads I started)

Sorry to disappear, and now bump this. Life went sideways

Your 1988 AH alignment

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Boston
Philadelphia
NYK
NJN
Washington
Miami
Charlotte

Central Division


Indiana
Kentucky
Atlanta
Minnesota
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Milwaukee

Western Conference

Midwest Division

St. Louis
San Antonio
Dallas
Houston
Utah
Denver
Phoenix

Pacific Division

Vancouver
Seattle
Portland
LAL
LAC
GSW
Sacramento

Your 1989 alignment

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Boston
Philadelphia
NYK
NJN
Toronto
Washington
Orlando
Miami

Central Division

Charlotte
Atlanta
Kentucky
Cleveland
Indiana
Detroit
Milwaukee
Chicago

Western Conference

Midwest Division

Minnesota
St Louis
Dallas
San Antonio
Houston
Denver
Utah

Pacific Division

Vancouver
Seattle
Portland
LAC
LAL
GSW
Sacramento
Phoenix

I don’t follow—Toronto and Vancouver didn’t have teams in 1989.

The key to these retroactive look backs is that if you’re going to change something else other than the initial change, there has to be some explanation for why event B occurred in the alternative timeline. I’m not sure why a league that’s already 2 teams heavy by virtue of the ABA merger would add 2 more on top of that—you start diluting the talent pool.

Good point Muskie. I decided to bring Toronto in a few years early. If the Spirit moves me, I’ll do the franchise relocation & those ramifications.

2001 Alignment

Atlantic Division

Boston
Philadelphia
NJN
NYK
Washington
Toronto
Orlando
Miami

Central Division

Cleveland
Detroit
Indiana
Kentucky
Charlotte
Atlanta
Chicago
St. Louis
Milwaukee


Western Conference

Midwest Division

Minnesota
Memphis
Dallas
Houston
San Antonio
Denver
Utah

Pacific Division

Seattle
Portland
Sacramento
LAC
LAL
GSW
Phoenix