Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban Proposes Expanding NBA Playoff Field To 10 Teams Per Conference

Mark Cuban is known as one of the most outspoken owners in the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks boss was his usual self during the league meetings in Las Vegas this week, suggesting that the league should increase the number of teams making the NBA playoffs from eight per conference to 10. That means 20 teams in the 30-team league would have a shot at the title each year.

Cuban thinks that by expanding postseason eligibility, the league would address the issue of teams tanking for a bad record in hopes of securing a high lottery pick -- and at the same time increase fan interest in the regular season.

"With all the concern about getting a high draft pick taking precedent over winning games, the disparity in talent between conferences and the general challenge of team building, I asked the question, ‘Why do just 8 teams per conference make the playoffs? Why not 10?’” Cuban posted on Cyber Dust, as reported by ESPN and the Dallas Morning News. "The increased number would reduce the chances of good teams missing the playoffs in the stronger conference. It would keep things interesting for fans longer into the season. Teams that suffered difficult injuries would increase their chances of recovering."

In Cuban’s proposal, the top seeds in each conference would earn a playoff bye and the bottom two seeds would play a best-of-five series.

Meanwhile, it the same league meeting, Cuban stated that he met with Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and both talked about the recent controversy involving DeAndre Jordan, a free agent who verbally committed to signing with Dallas but reneged at the last minute and re-signed with the Clippers. Cuban claims that both sides have “cleared the air on a few things” after the conversation.