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If JMAP catches on for client-to-server, maybe that could inspire a replacement server-to-server mail protocol.

https://www.ietf.org/blog/jmap/

smap?

I don't think so, at this point SMTP is more than just a protocol for sending - it's how you integrate multiple email services into one single interface.

SMTP is as much a protocol for sending as it is for receiving. IMAP isn't a "receive emails" protocol, as much as it is a "manage mails on a server" protocol.

I'm not sure if people working with these protocols have built applications implementing their specifications before, but they should. It affords you a much better picture of why these protocols are designed as they are, good and bad.

It could, I don't think there is really that many big players. If those agree to something and then start moving towards it others might follow.

I'd guess it will evolve and/or accrete bolt-ons to meet new use cases (e.g. MIME), much like HTTP and any number of protocols have.

in part, this is a chicken-and-egg question. To effect this kind of change, there needs to be a reference implementation of sufficiently high quality to get and keep people's interest, and there needs to be sufficient force of will to complete this to get people using it.