WI: An Earlier ABA-NBA Merger?

So basically I was watching Semi-Pro, and decided to look into the OTL merger. Apparently the leagues almost merged in 1970, but were held back by an anti-monopoly suit by the NBA Players association. So Im just gonna make a little set up of what the league would look like if they had merged for the 70-71 season. Just how I organized it, without the three teams that were added in OTL.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Boston Celtics
Baltimore Bullets
New York Nets

Central
Indiana Pacers
Detroit Pistons
Atlanta Hawks
Pittsburgh Pipers
Cincinnati Royals

Western Conference

Pacific
Los Angeles Stars
Los Angeles Lakers
San Francisco Warriors
San Diego Rockets
Seattle SuperSonics

Central
Milwaukee Bucks
Chicago Bulls
Phoenix Suns
Denver Nuggets
Texas Chaparrals

Not saying this is how it would have ended up.
 
So basically I was watching Semi-Pro, and decided to look into the OTL merger. Apparently the leagues almost merged in 1970, but were held back by an anti-monopoly suit by the NBA Players association. So Im just gonna make a little set up of what the league would look like if they had merged for the 70-71 season. Just how I organized it, without the three teams that were added in OTL.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Boston Celtics
Baltimore Bullets
New York Nets

Central
Indiana Pacers
Detroit Pistons
Atlanta Hawks
Pittsburgh Pipers
Cincinnati Royals

Western Conference

Pacific
Los Angeles Stars
Los Angeles Lakers
San Francisco Warriors
San Diego Rockets
Seattle SuperSonics

Central
Milwaukee Bucks
Chicago Bulls
Phoenix Suns
Denver Nuggets
Texas Chaparrals

Not saying this is how it would have ended up.


Eastern Conference

Atlantic
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Boston Celtics
Baltimore Bullets
New York Nets
Atlanta Hawks
Miami Scorpions (Miami Floridians)

Central-East
Indiana Pacers
Detroit Pistons
Cleveland Cavaliers
Buffalo Braves
Pittsburgh Pipers
Cincinnati Royals
Kentucky Colonels

Western Conference

Central-West
Milwaukee Bucks
Chicago Bulls
St. Louis Jazz (relocated Carolina Cougars)
Denver Nuggets (formerly the Denver Rockets in the ABA)
Utah Stars
Texas Chaparrals
Houston Astronauts (relocated Virginia Squires)

Pacific
Los Angeles Lakers
Portland Trail Blazers
Phoenix Suns
San Francisco Warriors
San Diego Rockets
Seattle SuperSonics

The Chaparrals would have changed their name back to the Dallas Chaparrals a season after the merger. In 1973 they would have relocated to San Antonio and became the Spurs like in the OTL. This probably would have been too rapid of an expansion for the NBA at that time and some of the teams would have folded during the mid 1970s. The likely teams to fold would have been the former ABA teams in Miami and Pittsburgh. The Royals still would have moved to Kansas City and rename themselves the Kansas City Kings like they did in the OTL. With the merger taking place in 1970, the NBA decides not to give New Orleans an expansion franchise in 1974 (but hopes to relocate a team there at some point). In 1978 the Buffalo Braves are unable to relocate to San Diego like they did in the OTL. So they relocate to New Orleans and call themselves the New Orleans Cajuns (since St. Louis has the Jazz name already).


Today's NBA would look like this:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Boston Celtics
Washington Wizards
Brooklyn Nets
Toronto Raptors

Central
Indiana Pacers
Chicago Bulls
Detroit Pistons
Cleveland Cavaliers
Milwaukee Bucks

Southeast
Charlotte Hornets
Memphis Grizzlies
Orlando Magic
Atlanta Hawks
Miami Heat


Western Conference

Northwest
Minnesota Timberwolves
St. Louis Jazz
Denver Nuggets
Kentucky Colonels
Utah Stars

Southwest
New Orleans Cajuns
Dallas Mavericks
San Antonio Spurs
Houston Astronauts
Oklahoma City Thunder

Pacific
Los Angeles Lakers
Portland Trail Blazers
Phoenix Suns
Golden State Warriors
San Diego Rockets
Sacramento Kings
 
Top