re: NBA Considering Changing Draft Format

Relegating and promoting to and from the D-League is implausible given the NBA's makeup, which will never change drastically enough to support such a plan. There is a way that intraleague relegation could work, however:

At the end of the season, put the top 15 teams in the First Division and the rest in the Second Division. Divide each division into West, Central, and East. If we used today's standings, here's what we would have:

1West: Golden State, Los Angeles C, Los Angeles L, Phoenix, Portland
1Central: Dallas, Denver, Houston, Oklahoma City, San Antonio
1East: Atlanta, Indiana, Miami, Minnesota, Washington

2East: Boston, Brooklyn, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto
2Central: Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando
2West: Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Sacramento, Utah

Make a schedule sort of similar to what we have now. For example, have the 1West teams play each other 4 times (16 games), all other First Division teams 3 times (30 games), all 2West teams 4 times (16 games), and all other Second Division teams twice (20 games) (total of 82 games). You play 46 games vs. your Division and 36 games against the opposite Division.

The worst 1West, 1Central, and 1East team, plus the wild card with the worst record, will be relegated to the Second Division next season. All other First Division teams will be in the playoffs. The best 2West, 2Central, and 2East team, plus the best wild card, will be promoted to the First Division next season and will be in this season's playoffs. Seed the playoffs according to regular season record, regardless of Division.