MLSsoccer.com seems to be reporting on NASL teams rather regularly. Editorial policy may or may not have anything to do with league relations.
Greg Lalas is in charge off the content, right? That is understandable with the Premier League, La Liga, Liga MX, Yanks Abroad, ect. That is content soccer fans want and MLSsoccer.com would be crazy to ignore it. I understand not wanting to be seen as a mouthpiece, but stories on the NASL are something that can disappear, or just be ignored, and no one would notice or make a peep. MLSsoccer is actually going out of its way to give coverage to the Cosmos and NASL since no one else really is. And that could stop if MLS feels the Cosmos and NASL are becoming too troublesome. Interesting to see if more stories on the USL-Pro pop up there this year. You would think they would.
There is, probably, the idea of promoting not only Soccer in America, but American Soccer. Thus, D2 actually matters.