The 2002 Alignment

Atlantic Division

Boston
Philadelphia
Toronto
Washington
NYK
NJN
Miami
Orlando

Central Division

Atlanta
Detroit
Milwaukee
Cleveland
Indiana
Kentucky
Chicago
St. Louis


Western Conference

Miidwest Division

Minnesota
New Orleans
Memphis
Dallas
Houston
San Antonio
Denver
Utah

Pacific Division

Seattle
Portland
LAC
LAL
GSW
Sacramento
Phoenix

2008 Alignment (Note the NJN rebranded as Brooklyn in 2004)

Atlantic Division

Boston
Philadelphia
Washington
Brooklyn
NYK
Charlotte
Miami
Orlando


Central Division

Toronto
Detroit
Atlanta
Cleveland
Indiana
Minnesota
Chicago
Milwaukee


Western Conference

Midwest Division

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


Pacific Division

Portland
Utah
Phoenix
Denver
LAL
LAC
GSW
Sacramento

(07-28-2026 05:57 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  The 2002 Alignment

Atlantic Division

Boston
Philadelphia
Washington
NYK
NJN
Miami
Orlando

Central Division

Toronto
Atlanta
Detroit
Cleveland
Indiana
Kentucky
Chicago
St. Louis


Western Conference

Miidwest Division

Minnesota
New Orleans
Memphis
Dallas
Houston
San Antonio
Denver
Utah

Pacific Division

Seattle
Portland
LAC
LAL
GSW
Sacramento
Phoenix

1989 and 2001 make sense. But here I would leave Toronto east. Move Minnesota to Central and leave St. Louis in midwest with the other river cities.

IOW: Toronto to Atlantic and flip flop Minnesota & St. Louis? That probably works better.

(07-28-2026 06:03 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  2008 Alignment (Note the NJN rebranded as Brooklyn in 2004)

Let's make some changes. The Colonels would be the closest team to the Pacers, and it also gets the Western Conference out of the Eastern Time Zone.

Atlantic Division

Boston
Philadelphia
Washington
Brooklyn
NYK
Toronto
Miami
Orlando


Central Division

Charlotte
Detroit
Atlanta
Cleveland
Indiana
Kentucky
Chicago
Milwaukee


Western Conference

Midwest Division

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

Pacific Division

Portland
Utah
Phoenix
Denver
LAL
LAC
GSW
Sacramento

Assuming Las Vegas and Seattle come onboard in a few years, a 34-team alignment looks like this:

Northwest Division (6) - Portland, Seattle*, Utah, Denver, OKC, Saint Louis
Pacific Division (6) - LAL, LAC, GSW, Sacramento, Phoenix, Las Vegas*
Southwest Division (5) - Memphis, New Orleans, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio

Atlantic Division (6) - Boston, Philadelphia , Brooklyn, NYK, Toronto, Cleveland
Southeast Division (5) - Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, Washington
Central Division (6) - Detroit, Indiana, Kentucky, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minnesota

Pretty good charger! No clean place for St. Louis.

Let’s put a bow on this thread with a hypothetical expansion c. 2030

Atlantic Division

Boston
Philadelphia
NYK
Brooklyn
Washington
Charlotte
Orlando
Miami

Central Division

Toronto
Detroit
Cleveland
Kentucky
Indiana
Atlanta
Chicago
Milwaukee
Minnesota

Southwest Division

St. Louis
Memphis
New Orleans
OKC
Dallas
Houston
San Antonio
Denver
Utah

Pacific Division

Seattle
Portland (can’t predict where they’d move)
LAL
LAC
GSW
Sacramento
Las Vegas
Phoenix