I would imagine the 11 communities would be:

Baton Rouge
Houma-Thibodaux
Lafayette
Lake Charles
Shreveport
Bossier
Monroe
Jackson
Biloxi-Gulfport
Pensacola (or maybe Jacksonville)
Mobile

All have suitable population, proximity, arena situations that would make sense for the Pels and the DLeague.

My hope for the D-League is that once every team has their own affiliate that they will institute a MLB type model. That is:

1.) NBA draft is expanded to 7 rounds to stock the D League teams
2.) Every player is draftable out of high school
3.) 1st round picks have guaranteed contracts like today. They are slotted in for salary and their drafting teams will have them at the same rules as today.
4.) 2-7 round draft picks will be able to either sign with their teams or go to college. These players will not be draft eligible again for 2 or 3 years.
5) If they sign, their contracts will not be guaranteed and they will only get paid their NBA salary slots if they are with the big club, much like MLB. They will be paid an D-League salary when sent down.
6.) The 2nd or 3rd year players (we'll call it 3, like it is in baseball) will be eligible for the draft again at the end of their 3rd year. The same rules above would apply. They would be able to sign w/ their team, go back to college, or be locked in as a first round pick
7.) Draft and Stash international players would have their rights controlled by the drafting team no matter the round. If they don't sign by their 3rd year, they can re-enter the draft, unless they are a first round pick. In that case they keep those rights until the player signs.

College Basketball: Saved! If you are a high school kid you are in the draft without the threat of burning your eligibility. You don't get drafted in round 1, you have the opportunity to go back to college. Imagine a guy like O'Bryant, Mickey, Big Baby coming out after year 2, getting picked in the 2nd round, and deciding it would be best to go back to school. Better college basketball. If you're Jarrell Martin and you're a 1st round pick, that's great - you have a guaranteed contract for 4 years. If you're a first round pick, you're still making your NBA money even if you are down in the D League. Kids who won't make it in the NBA will get some free education along the way, and will have multiple other opportunities to get there. NBA vets love it because it opens roster spots if these rookies are in the D League developing instead of taking their jobs. Just wins all around. I don't see the negatives.

This post was edited on 3/31/17 at 7:05 pm