Once we get to 32 teams:

8 divisions
12 playoff teams per conference, division winners get bye
Picks 5-8 locked in
Top four picks in lottery

Worst team has 40% chance of #1 pick, can’t move more than 3 picks in either direction.

If 24 teams make the postseason, there is little point to the regular season. There is no reason to go beyond the current 20 teams (counting the existing play-in games). Having 3 teams per division out of 4 is especially bad, as it likely means teams will concede a playoff berth earlier on the season.

The best way to fix tanking is to make teams win games for draft order. Once a team is eliminated from playoff contention, each win awards a team 1 point in the draft order standings. The team with the most draft order points picks first.
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(04-09-2026 05:45 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  If 24 teams make the postseason, there is little point to the regular season. There is no reason to go beyond the current 20 teams (counting the existing play-in games). Having 3 teams per division out of 4 is especially bad, as it likely means teams will concede a playoff berth earlier on the season.

The best way to fix tanking is to make teams win games for draft order. Once a team is eliminated from playoff contention, each win awards a team 1 point in the draft order standings. The team with the most draft order points picks first.
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This year was pretty much decided with 10 games left. I've never seen such an anti-climactic finish to the regular season. Both conferences. In the West even the first 6 are decided before the final weekend.

So here's an idea for the draft...

The bottom 5 teams are ineligible for the lottery. You have to finish above that threshold in order to qualify for a lottery pick.

No more tanking and if you want to get better you probably just need to spend money and get free agents. Either that or take development in the G League more seriously.

Playoff idea...

They're way too big. Nothing particularly close to half the league should be making the playoffs.

Twelve teams can be in the playoffs. The 1st round is composed of 8 teams playing 5 game series. The winners of those series will move on and play the top 4 seeds. This 2nd round is bumped up to 7 game series. Every subsequent round is 7 games.

Here’s how I see the NBA realignment playing out:

Atlantic, Pacific, and Southeast divisions all remain unchanged.

Minnesota moves to the Central—creating a 6 team division in the East.
OKC joins the other CTZ teams in the Southwest—creating a 6 team division in the West.
Seattle and Vegas join Portland, Denver, and Utah in the Northwest division.

(07-05-2026 04:52 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Here’s how I see the NBA realignment playing out:

Atlantic, Pacific, and Southeast divisions all remain unchanged.

Minnesota moves to the Central—creating a 6 team division in the East.
OKC joins the other CTZ teams in the Southwest—creating a 6 team division in the West.
Seattle and Vegas join Portland, Denver, and Utah in the Northwest division.

That might be the permanent alignment, but I doubt the NBA will put both expansion teams in the same division initially. Don't be surprised if Las Vegas plays a season or two in the Eastern Conference, the NBA did this with Charlotte for the 1989-90 season.

I don't think the NBA will expand beyond 32 in the next decade, but I'm sure the expansion fees will make owners think about it.

(07-06-2026 07:28 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  

(07-05-2026 04:52 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Here’s how I see the NBA realignment playing out:

Atlantic, Pacific, and Southeast divisions all remain unchanged.

Minnesota moves to the Central—creating a 6 team division in the East.
OKC joins the other CTZ teams in the Southwest—creating a 6 team division in the West.
Seattle and Vegas join Portland, Denver, and Utah in the Northwest division.

That might be the permanent alignment, but I doubt the NBA will put both expansion teams in the same division initially. Don't be surprised if Las Vegas plays a season or two in the Eastern Conference, the NBA did this with Charlotte for the 1989-90 season.

I don't think the NBA will expand beyond 32 in the next decade, but I'm sure the expansion fees will make owners think about it.

Minnesota has wanted to move east since the team was founded.

If putting 2 expansion teams into the same division is an issue, they can split them among western conference divisions—Pacific and Northwest

Long term, it makes sense for OKC to move into an all central time zone Southwest division.

Two expansion teams the same division shouldn’t be an issue. And moving Minnesota to Central/East is MUCH better geographically.