Mark Cuban Believes This Major Rule Change Would Improve NBA

Everyone seems to have an opinion on the current state of the NBA and while the league remains healthy overall, it certainly has its fair share of flaws.

Whether those issues involve the players, officiating, or simply the business side of the league led by commissioner Adam Silver, there are plenty of ways the product could potentially improve for fans.

According to longtime Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban - who now holds only a minority stake in the franchise - one major change that could improve the NBA would be shortening games from 48 minutes to 40 minutes.

"I don’t think it’s the length of the season, I think it’s the length of the games," Cuban said via Front Office Sports. "Because when you look at the amount of time played in a game… I really think if the NBA went from 48 minutes to 40 minutes it would change it 180 degrees for the better."

Such a transition would mirror the current WNBA and Olympic format, which features 10-minute quarters instead of the NBA's 12-minute quarters.

However, a change like that would come with significant implications, particularly regarding league history and statistical comparisons between players, which remain some of the biggest points of debate among fans.

That said, as Cuban noted, shorter games would not only potentially hold fans' attention more, but could also reduce the amount of strain players put on their bodies throughout the season.

"College basketball, no one says, ‘Oh damn, these games are only 40 minutes.' No one looked at the Olympics and said, ‘Damn, it would’ve been a dream if they were 48 minutes,'" Cuban added. "I'm a firm believer in 40 minutes, and I used to tell that to the NBA."

In theory, that could lead to stars playing in more games, which has become one of the NBA's biggest issues as load management, rest days, and players sitting out back-to-backs continue to impact the overall product.

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 10:41 PM.