NBA expansion plan & other changes.

2016: Grant expansion franchises to Seattle & Saint Louis. No more expansion drafts involving veteran players, yet give each expansion team 15 selections in the amateur draft, while the 30 established teams only get 1 selection each. The draft order would be:

The 14 lottery picks for the non-playoff teams would be business as usual.
The Sonics would draft #15, #18, #19, #22, #23, #26, #27, #30, #31, #34, #35, #38, #39, #42 & #43.
Saint Louis would draft #16, #17, #20, #21, #24, #25, #28, #29, #32, #33, #36, #37, #40, #41 & #44.
Then the 16 playoff teams would draft #45--#60.

Implement a hard salary cap with a minimum floor plus revenue sharing, similar to that of the NFL & NHL. The current SOFT CAP does not promote enough equality & parity. The Sonics & Saint Louis would obviously have the most salary cap space available to sign free agents.

Realign into 4 divisions of 4 teams each per conference. Seattle & Saint Louis would both be placed in the Western Conference, while Minnesota would be switched to the Eastern Conference.

Eastern Conference/

Atlantic Division:

Brooklyn
New York
Philadelphia
Washington

Northeast Division:

Boston
Cleveland
Detroit
Toronto

Southeast Division:

Atlanta
Charlotte
Miami
Orlando

Metro Division:

Chicago
Indiana
Milwaukee
Minnesota

Western Conference/

Central Division:

Memphis
New Orleans
Oklahoma City
Saint Louis

Southwest Division:

Dallas
Houston
Phoenix
San Antonio

Northwest Division:

Denver
Portland
Seattle
Utah

Pacific Division:

Golden State
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Sacramento

Contract the regular season schedule to only 80 games. The Sonics would play:

2 home games + 2 road games per season vs. each of the other 3 Northwest Division teams = 12 games.
3 games per season vs. each of the other 12 Western Conference teams = 36 games.
1 home game + 1 road game per season vs. each of the 16 Eastern Conference teams = 32 games.

Contract all postseason series', except the NBA Finals, to best of 5, including the first 2 games played at the arenas of the lower seeds, while the last 3 games are played at the arenas of the higher seeds. The NBA Finals would remain best of 7, including a 2-3-2 format.

2018: Grant expansion franchises to Pittsburgh & Kansas City. The amateur draft would be similar to 2016, except for 2 more lottery picks. Realign into 17 teams per conference, including no divisions. Pittsburgh would be placed in the Eastern Conference, while Kansas City would be placed in the Western Conference. Expand the regular season schedule back to 82 games. The Sonics would play:

3 games per season vs. each of the other 16 Western Conference teams = 48 games.
1 home game + 1 road game per season vs. each of the 17 Eastern Conference teams = 34 games.

2020: Grant expansion franchises to Cincinnati or Louisville & Baltimore or Norfolk. The amateur draft would be similar to 2016, except for 4 more lottery picks. Realign into 3 divisions of 6 teams each per conference. Cincinnati/Louisville & Baltimore/Norfolk would both be placed in the Eastern Conference. Chicago, Milwaukee & Minnesota would be switched to the Western Conference, while Memphis & New Orleans would be switched to the Eastern Conference.