NBA schedule 2026-27: Opening night, Christmas and must-see games
Following the NBA's schedule release, our insiders break down the biggest games to watch for the 2026-27 season.
NBALos Angeles LakersBrooklyn Nets
Full story
The 2026-27 NBA schedule is here!
The regular season begins on Oct. 20 with a triple-header. The Boston Celtics will face the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock) before the Philadelphia 76ers head to Madison Square Garden to play the New York Knicks (7 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) and the Oklahoma City Thunder travel to the San Antonio Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET NBC/Peacock).
As the NBA's 81st season approaches, which rookie debuts, rooted rivalries and playoff rematches should be at the top of your watch list?
After a busy offseason, there will be plenty of superstars donning new threads. Giannis Antetokounmpo will be sporting red and black after the Greek phenom was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat in July. Jaylen Brown will also be repping a new look for the Philadelphia 76ers after a trade from his longtime team, the Boston Celtics.
Most notably, LeBron James will tip off his 24th NBA season alongside Brown after the 41-year-old joined the 76ers following months of free-agent speculation about where the future Hall of Famer would land.
The league is also buzzing around the debuts of top lottery picks AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. However, the Rookie of the Year race appears far from settled with No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer (Memphis Grizzlies) and No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson (Chicago Bulls) looking ready to make immediate impacts in Year 1.
With plenty of storylines waiting to unfold this season, ESPN's NBA insiders break down the most anticipated games of the 2026-27 NBA season, including opening night, revenge matchups, holiday showdowns and key superstar returns.
Jump to a section: NBA schedule FAQs | Opening night LeBron | Big reunions and rematches Five Christmas games | Rookie battles Full schedules for all 30 NBA teams
NBA schedule FAQ
When is opening day/night?
Opening day and night of the NBA is Oct. 20 as the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons will tipoff the season at 3 p.m. ET(NBC/Peacock). The rare day opening game will be followed by the Philadelphia 76ers at the defending champion New York Knicks (7 p.m., NBC/Peacock) and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the San Antonio Spurs (9:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock).
When is the Emirates NBA Cup?
The fourth edition of the NBA Cup begins on Oct. 30 with group play and will end on Nov. 27. The quarterfinals will take place from Dec. 4-5 and the semifinals will be played on Dec. 8 and 9. The championship will tip off on Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
What is the Christmas schedule?
There will be five games Dec. 25:
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks (12 p.m. ET) Miami Heat at Boston Celtics (2:30 p.m. ET) Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers (5 p.m. ET) Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves (8 p.m. ET) Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors (10:30 p.m. ET) When and where is the All-Star Game?
The NBA All-Star Game will take place Feb. 21, 2027, at the Mortgage Matchup Center, home of the Phoenix Suns.
Opening-night matchups (Oct. 20)
Celtics at Pistons 3 p.m. ET | NBC/Peacock
The NBA is expanding its opening night slate to include a matinee matchup between the Eastern Conference's top two seeds from last season. For the Pistons, who haven't played on Christmas in more than 20 years, hosting the first game of the 2026-27 season represents an excellent opportunity to launch Cade Cunningham's MVP candidacy to a captive national audience.
The refashioned Celtics, meanwhile, will get their first look at the Jayson Tatum and Paul George partnership after their polarizing decision to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in July. -- Ben Golliver
76ers at Knicks 7 p.m. ET | NBC/Peacock
When LeBron James returned to Cleveland in 2014 for his second stint with the franchise, he couldn't help but get caught up in the hype for the Cavs' first regular season game against the New York Knicks. "This is probably one of the biggest sporting events that is up there, ever," James said.
Remarkably, 12 years later he'll get a chance to top it. James' Sixers debut is also against the Knicks, but this time it's at Madison Square Garden on ring night for New York. As if the circumstances weren't enough to titillate, seeing how James fits with Philadelphia's star-studded roster that includes Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey will give basketball voyeurs plenty to feast their eyes on. -- Dave McMenamin
Thunder at Spurs 9:30 p.m. ET | NBC/Peacock
Counting the regular season, NBA Cup and the playoffs, these teams played 12 times last season, and they'll open this season against each other. The Spurs won eight of those matchups last season in one of the most competitive rivalries in the West. The Thunder, led by two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, won't forget San Antonio's emotional celebration on its home floor in the aftermath of the Spurs knocking off the Thunder in Game 7 of a Western Conference Finals series that OKC led 3-2.
Meanwhile, Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama always gets up for these games, and will have more incentive to open the season on a strong note, to erase the bad taste of the Spurs' Finals loss. -- Michael C. Wright
LeBron James' 24th NBA season:
James considered multiple destinations when he decided to end his Lakers' career after eight seasons. Those fanbases will all get a chance to see what might have been when James comes to town.
76ers at Cavaliers Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m. ET | Prime
James granted only one in-person meeting during his free agency: the Cavs front office and ownership group in early July. And yet he ultimately decided against a third reunion with Cleveland, leaving the Cavs at the proverbial altar yet again. Now the Cavs, fresh off their deepest playoff run in three decades without LeBron, will be out to prove that he made the wrong choice in joining another Eastern Conference contender.
This will be the second of their two early-season meetings, as Cleveland is the opponent for James' home opener as a 76er (Oct. 22, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN). These matchups could also be a preview of a potential playoff series this spring, in what would be the first time in James' career he's had to face his hometown team in a postseason series. -- Golliver
76ers at Heat Jan. 30, 12:30 p.m. ET | ABC
It could have been LeBron, Giannis and the new Heatles versus the rest of the NBA. But James spurned a return to South Beach for Philadelphia, leaving Pat Riley left to wonder what if once again. There will be plenty of intrigue entering James' return trip to Miami, even though the two teams meet earlier in the month in Philadelphia (Jan. 8, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN). Even without James, the Heat will still be a force to reckon with in the paint with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo anchoring Erik Spoelstra's defense.
As Riley has made abundantly clear, the Heat are gunning for a championship. A win over James and the Sixers would only boost Miami's confidence that it can be an East contender even without their former star. -- Ohm Youngmisuk
76ers at Warriors March 24, 10 p.m. ET | ESPN
The late-career conference switch from LeBron James means there are only two possible dates per regular season for him to meet up with the franchise and star player he once battled in the Finals four consecutive Junes. Despite four chances when James was a Laker last season, he wasn't on the court against Steph Curry once.
James missed the opener against the Warriors and Curry missed the next three Lakers matchups due to injury. Including playoffs, they've faced off 55 times in their legendary careers. Curry's Warriors are 30-25. -- Anthony Slater
Other must-see reunions:
Raptors at Clippers Nov. 2, 10 p.m. ET
Kawhi Leonard returns to Los Angeles?: Which jersey will Leonard be wearing when the Raptors visit the Clippers? The answer is, remarkably, still unknown, because the nearly completed trade that would have sent Leonard back to Toronto remains in limbo as the two teams await the NBA's ruling in the Aspiration investigation.
That scandalous end to Leonard's tenure in Los Angeles, as well as his lack of a title with the Clippers, give him a rather complicated legacy as a Clipper, which leads to a second as yet unanswered question: If Leonard is indeed traded to the Raptors, how will Clippers fans greet him in his return? -- Zach Kram
Celtics at 76ers Nov. 10, 8 p.m. ET | NBC
Paul George returns to Philadelphia: The Celtics and 76ers will square off for the first time after dominating headlines with their July swap of Brown and Paul George. Both teams should still be adjusting to their summer moves so early in the season, and LeBron James will get a chance to endear himself to 76ers fans thanks to their shared hatred of the Celtics. Meanwhile, George will return to Philadelphia after a complicated two-year tenure. How will he be received? While his brief stay in the city featured injury issues, a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy and fan complaints about his contract, George departed on a high note by helping the 76ers score a memorable first-round series victory over the Celtics in last year's playoffs. -- Golliver
Bucks at Heat Nov. 18, 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
Tyler Herro returns to Miami: Bam Adebayo was not happy with Tyler Herro questioning his defense and how much he makes in a leaked IG direct message to a fan, leading to him hitting his former teammate in Las Vegas during summer league. There's a good chance Adebayo isn't done expressing how he feels. When the Bucks and Heat meet, Giannis Antetokounmpo's rematch with his old team might be a little overshadowed by Bam vs Herro.
This will be an opportunity for Herro to get back at Adebayo and his old Heat team. And he won't be the only Buck highly motivated. Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis will certainly be eager to remind the Heat of what they surrendered for Giannis. -- Youngmisuk
76ers at Celtics Jan. 21, 7 p.m. ET | Prime
Jaylen Brown returns to Boston: After nearly a decade as Celtics teammates, Tatum and Brown will take the TD Garden parquet as opponents for the first time when the new-look 76ers visit Boston. Expect Brown, the 2024 Finals MVP, to be showered with cheers by appreciative Celtics fans who were left stunned by a July trade that ended his 10-year run in Boston.
Brown's homecoming game won't come until nearly three months into the 2026-27 season, so observers should have a good sense by then whether the Atlantic Division rivals are on track as aspiring contenders. Given that the Brown trade generated significant debate when it happened, imagine what the discourse will sound like leading up to this game if Boston or Philadelphia gets off to a slow start. -- Golliver
Heat at Bucks Jan. 28, 9:30 p.m. ET | Prime
Giannis Antetokounmpo returns to Milwaukee: Giannis Antetokounmpo has gone out of his way to express how it wasn't personal with Milwaukee. He loves the city that drafted him, where he grew up for 13 seasons and became a two-time MVP and NBA champion. But Antetokounmpo saw the end of the road for Milwaukee's playoff contention and now he gets a fresh start in Miami with a chance to compete at the highest level again.
But his return to Milwaukee will be filled with emotions, both for the player who still loves the city and a fanbase who never wanted to see him leave. -- Jamal Collier
Trail Blazers at Grizzlies Feb. 6, 5:30 p.m. ET | Prime
Ja Morant returns to Memphis: Morant never wanted to leave the city that embraced him wholeheartedly for seven seasons. But a series of injuries, off-court incidents and two organizational resets made his eventual trade to Portland inevitable. Morant led a young, exciting Grizzlies core expected to compete for championships for years to come.
But Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane won only one playoff series together. Morant joins an ascending Portland team coming off its first playoff series since 2021 but said in his first press conference as a Blazer that Memphis "will always be home to me." Expect the city to reciprocate the love. -- Michael C. Wright
Timberwolves at Hornets Feb. 15, 12 p.m. ET | NBC/Peacock
LaMelo Ball returns to Charlotte: The Hornets' decision to trade LaMelo Ball would have been the biggest shocker of the summer had James not picked Philadelphia. Charlotte enjoyed the second-biggest turnaround last season, was arguably the hottest team after Jan. 1 and finished one play-in win shy of snapping the longest playoff drought in the NBA. It would have been easy to run it back. Yet, the Hornets traded not only their quarterback but one of the franchise's most popular players.
Charlotte's front office deemed that it would not be able to be a championship contender with Ball at the helm. The Hornets are ready to turn the offense over to Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel and hand the point guard duties over to Coby White. They also coveted Naz Reid. Many Hornets fans, though, were left frustrated by the move to trade away their exciting and unpredictable star. Ball will be celebrated by fans who miss him. And he will look to show that he can be the winning piece Minnesota is missing alongside Anthony Edwards. -- Youngmisuk
Celtics at Knicks March 14, 12 p.m. ET | ABC
Mitchell Robinson returns to New York: This will be a surreal night for Celtics center Mitchell Robinson, who capped an eight-year run with the Knicks by winning a championship last season. Sadly, the longest-tenured Knicks player became the franchise's biggest summer defection once owner James Dolan decided not to exceed the second apron to keep his title roster together.
As a result, Robinson pivoted to the Celtics, who needed to bolster their frontline after a first-round loss in the playoffs. A high-volume rebounder and defensive specialist who fought through a hand injury in the Finals, Robinson can expect a warm reception from the Madison Square Garden faithful. -- Golliver
Delayed reunions
Jazz at Grizzlies Oct. 21, 8 p.m. ET
Jaren Jackson Jr. returns to Memphis: A little more than two weeks after Memphis traded Jackson to Utah, the Grizzlies hosted the Jazz in an outing the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year missed due to a knee injury. Memphis recognized the two-time All-Star with a video tribute at the end of the first quarter. But hopefully, this time, he gets to play as an anchor for a revamped Utah roster that also features No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson, an improved Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen.
Jackson will be up against a Memphis squad that he won't recognize. General manager Zach Kleiman has almost completely turned over the young Grizzlies roster. Once a core piece along with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane of what was viewed as a bright future in Memphis, Jackson now gets to match up head-to-head with the new future in No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer. -- Wright
Wizards at Hawks Nov. 6, 7 p.m. ET
Trae Young returns to Atlanta: Young made his first return to Atlanta on Feb. 24 but did not play in that game nor two nights later in the second of an Atlanta back-to-back. The Hawks crowd gave their former star point guard an ovation during a tribute video that aired and Young responded by forming the shape of a heart with his hands to the fans.
This time, though, Young will play on the floor he used to call home against his former teammates. There certainly will be an emotion that comes with that after playing his first eight seasons for the club. While Young has said he holds no animosity toward his former team, he certainly will want to show Atlanta that he is worth every penny of the four-year, $212-million contract he signed with the Wizards this summer. -- Youngmisuk
Wizards at Mavericks March 11, 7 p.m. ET
Anthony Davis returns to Dallas: This will be awkward. Mavs fans don't have animosity toward Davis, but he represents the most painful decision in franchise history as the centerpiece in the Luka Doncic trade that was immediately despised and quickly proved to be a historically awful deal.
An AD tribute video would probably generate groans from the crowd, but there might not be enough footage of him in a Mavs uniform to make one anyway. -- Tim MacMahon
Cavaliers at Clippers March 11, 10:30 p.m. ET
James Harden returns to Los Angeles: Harden spent three years in Los Angeles and while he put up some impressive regular season stats, his playoff performances never anywhere near a level close enough to put the Clippers over the hump.
Yet, his story in LA ended on a familiar beat, once it was clear he wasn't going to get the kind of extension he believed he deserved, he ended up getting a trade to a place willing to give him a multi-year deal. Cleveland is hopeful Harden will be the missing piece. The Clippers will welcome Harden back, but having already firmly moved on. -- Collier
Run it back: Big postseason rematches to watch
Pistons vs. Magic Nov. 24, 7 p.m. ET
These two teams met in one of the closest series of the entire Eastern Conference playoffs with the 8-seed Magic almost pulling off a gigantic upset of the 1-seed Pistons before Detroit rallied from down 3-1.
For a moment during their first-round series, it was unclear which team deserved which seed. Orlando had all summer to dream about what-ifs, especially considering Franz Wagner missed the final three games of the series. Detroit will be out to prove that last year's 60 wins and No. 1 seed was no fluke. What better way to do so than against the team that nearly sent them home early. -- Collier
Thunder vs. Pacers Feb. 5, 9:30 p.m. ET | Prime
2025 NBA Finals rematch: It seems like ancient history now, but the Pacers got within a hair of winning the NBA championship not too long ago. Perhaps, if not for a devastating injury, Indiana would have pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Finals history.
But with Tyrese Haliburton back on the court after a torn Achilles, Indiana expects to reclaim its spot among the league's elite. There is no better measuring stick than Oklahoma City. -- Collier
Christmas Day matchups
Spurs at Knicks 12 p.m. ET | ESPN
In what many consider to be as great of a five-game Finals they can remember, the New York Knicks won their first championship in 53 years by thwarting the league's up-and-coming supernova, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
The games dripped with drama; from Wemby's late gaffe in Game 2, to OG Anunoby's tip-in for the ages in Game 4, to Jalen Brunson's heroic road performance in Game 5. All told, it was the most-watched Finals series since 1998, averaging 20.6 million viewers on ABC and ESPN. Their regular-season rematch might not have championship stakes, but it still promises to be must-see TV. -- McMenamin
Heat at Celtics 2:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
This was an inspired choice by the NBA's schedule-makers: Who doesn't want a little drama and bad blood to spice up the holiday? The Celtics and Heat have long cultivated one of the NBA's fiercest rivalries, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami's new franchise player, battled Boston in the 2018, 2019 and 2022 playoffs. As if that on-court history wasn't enough, the Celtics were reportedly one of Antetokounmpo's trade suitors this summer before the Bucks sent the two-time MVP to South Beach. Gather the family around the Christmas campfire to find out whether Boston's Brad Stevens should have sweetened his offer for Antetokounmpo. -- Golliver
76ers at Lakers 5 p.m. ET | ESPN
As notable as James' and Luka Doncic's pairing with the Lakers was, they ended up playing just 72 games together between the regular season and playoffs. They went 47-25 (.652) but ultimately, their time will be remembered as what could have been.
It's been nearly a decade since James was an opponent of the Lakers, but he's done quite well against the purple and gold in the past, going 22-8 (.733), according to StatMuse. Against Doncic, however, James is just 8-6 (.571). That means both Lakers-Sixers matchups -- including James' first visit to Los Angeles since leaving the Lakers, on Christmas -- figure to be cinema. -- McMenamin
Thunder at Timberwolves 8 p.m. ET | ESPN
This is a home showcase for the new-look Timberwolves - and arguably the highest-profile game of LaMelo Ball's career. Anthony Edwards is becoming a Christmas regular, making his third consecutive appearance on the holiday stage, averaging 35 points in his previous two Christmas games. Back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an off game in his only Christmas outing, scoring 22 points on 7-of-19 shooting in last year's home loss to the Spurs. -- MacMahon
Nuggets at Warriors 10:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
The Warriors are down enough that they've finally been bumped from the premium holiday slots, but Steph Curry's presence as a ratings draw means they weren't excised from Christmas entirely. The league opted to put Curry against Nikola Jokic in the night slot, capping off a long day of basketball with two contrasting MVP talents who have defined the last decade.
Assuming health on both sides, there's plenty of juice to the matchup - Jokic against a veteran frontline of Draymond Green, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis while Curry squares up against Jamal Murray. -- Slater
Rookie of the Year watch
Kings vs. Nets Dec. 31, 6 p.m. ET
Really, it will be fascinating to monitor all four point guards selected between picks 5-8, including Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings. Of that group on paper, Acuff and Brown figure to have the biggest roles as rookies. And while neither the Kings nor Nets will be must-see TV this season, those franchises have a lot riding on the success of their rookie floor leaders.
Both Acuff and Brown will face steep NBA learning curves, particularly on the defensive end. But their offensive talent should be worth watching as they figure things out on the fly this season. -- Jeremy Woo
Wizards vs. Jazz Feb. 27, 3 p.m. ET | Prime
AJ Dybantsa vs. Darryn Peterson: This is the rookie matchup most worth tuning in for, with the top two picks likely to have significant roles, and the Wizards' franchise-altering decision between them at No. 1 hanging over these head-to-head meetings.
Peterson was my No. 1-ranked prospect, and is skilled enough to be a high-impact player out of the box. Honing his shot selection and adjusting to the speed of the NBA game after a somewhat lost developmental season at Kansas will be the next steps.
Dybantsa has the physical edge, but what type of impact he can have as a rookie will depend largely on his jump shooting development, a clear improvement area moving forward.
The fact they ended up in separate conferences puts a bit of a damper on any real rivalry - but for what it's worth, Peterson won each time the two squared off in high school and college. -- Woo
Grizzlies vs. Bulls March 13, 8 p.m. ET
Cameron Boozer vs. Caleb Wilson: This will be a true head-to-head matchup between two true power forwards who couldn't be more different stylistically. Boozer and Wilson only faced off once in college due to Wilson's season-ending injuries, but that UNC-Duke tilt was the best college game I saw all season, with their matchup living up to the hype.
I view Boozer as the most NBA-ready of the top rookies, and his Grizzlies team is a step or two ahead of the Bulls in terms of retooling - this may not be a great game. But expect both players -- former AAU teammates, at that -- to get up for the matchup. -- Woo
Every team's full 2026-27 schedule
Atlantic: BOS | BKN | NYK | PHI | TOR Central: CHI | CLE | DET | IND | MIL Southeast: ATL | CHA | MIA | ORL | WAS Pacific: GS | LAC | LAL | PHX | SAC Southwest: DAL | HOU | MEM | NO | SA Northwest: DEN | MIN | OKC | POR | UTAH
