Cuban stumps for NBA realignment

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban would like to see his team — and seven other NBA teams — change conferences.

The past few years, the NBA featured more strong teams in the West than in the East. Cuban’s realignment plan might level the landscape, at least as rosters are currently structured.

“I think we’d be better off re-aligning like the NHL did,” Cuban told reporters Wednesday. “Take teams that are currently in the central in the East, put them in the West. I don’t think it changes the travel, it doesn’t change the considerations for the playoffs. And I think it shakes things up in terms of balance of power today but I think it makes things more interesting.”

Cuban advocates moving the Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans into the Eastern Conference. He would move the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers into the Western Conference.

“It kind of shakes things up not just in interest but also in terms of how people rebuild,” Cuban said. “It makes both conferences very competitive for the short term. And I think based off the history of the teams, for the long term, as well. Instead of the Southwest, it becomes the South.”

Cuban said he had not formally offered his plan to league officials.