Cuban wants play-in tournament for last 2 playoff seeds

With the NBA assessing different formats to resume the 2019-20 season, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has an idea.

Cuban suggested that a total of 20 franchises - 10 from each conference - should make the postseason and be reseeded across the league by their overall record, he told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. Then, the four bottom-ranked sides would compete in abbreviated series against one another, with the winners facing the 15th and 16th seeds, again in shorter series.

Following that, the playoffs would return to the traditional seven-game series format.

"It's fair. It's entertaining," Cuban said.

The league is in talks to host the rest of the 2019-20 campaign at the Disney World sports complex but is still considering several different frameworks for the regular season and the playoffs.

One format reportedly being discussed involves replacing the first round with a soccer-style group stage. In order to create groups, teams reportedly would first be separated into different "tiers."

However, Cuban argues a group stage "throws away the value of the whole season," according to MacMahon.

In order to preserve the importance of the season, Cuban's proposed model calls for teams to play another five-to-seven regular-season games in order to give those on the cusp a fair shot at the playoffs. Only the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors would be mathematically eliminated.

Some players might appreciate having a handful of regular-season contests in order to improve their team's spot in the standings. Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard adamantly said Tuesday he won't participate in games if a "true opportunity" to make the postseason didn't exist.