The 2026/27 NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with the Detroit Pistons hosting the Boston Celtics. After the New York Knicks won the championship last season, the league begins a new campaign with major roster changes, including LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers and Giannis Antetokounmpo signing with the Miami Heat.
The 2026/27 NBA Calendar and Key Dates
The regular season schedule is punctuated by several major events, beginning with the preseason from October 3 to October 13, 2026. The league’s secondary tournament, the NBA Cup, begins its group stage on October 30 and concludes with the knockout rounds and final between December 4 and December 11, 2026.
International games remain a priority for the league, with the Nuggets facing the Pacers in Mexico City on November 7, 2026, followed by a Paris matchup between the Spurs and the Pelicans on January 14, 2027.
Teams have until the trade deadline on February 11, 2027, at 9:00 p.m. CET to finalize rosters. The All-Star Weekend is scheduled for February 19–21, 2027, in Phoenix, Arizona, with the regular season concluding on April 11, 2027. The play-in tournament runs from April 13 to April 16, 2027, followed by the playoffs starting April 17, 2027.
How to Watch Games via Prime Video, Sky, or NBA League Pass
Viewers looking to follow the action in the 2026/27 season have several options, though no games are available on free-to-air television. Prime Video has secured exclusive rights to 67 games, which includes the entirety of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The pay-TV provider Sky will broadcast over 100 games, accessible to subscribers via Sky Go and WOW. This coverage includes the league’s opening night, the All-Star Weekend, and the Western Conference Finals. For fans seeking access to every game on the schedule, the NBA League Pass remains the primary, albeit paid, English-language streaming service.
Competition Format and the NBA Cup
The league maintains its structure of 30 franchises divided into Eastern and Western Conferences, with each team playing 82 games during the regular season. The top six teams in each conference earn automatic playoff berths, while the seventh through tenth seeds compete in the play-in tournament to determine the final two spots for each side of the bracket.
The NBA Cup, introduced to heighten mid-season intensity, divides the 30 teams into six groups of five. The winners of these groups and two wild-card teams advance to the quarterfinals. With the exception of the final, all games in the tournament contribute to the regular season standings. The winning team’s players each receive a $500,000 bonus.
Defending Champions and Top Teams to Watch
The New York Knicks enter the season as the defending champions, looking to build on the momentum of their 2026 title. The Oklahoma City Thunder, champions in 2025, remain a primary challenger, supported by a balanced roster led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Other notable contenders include the San Antonio Spurs, behind center Victor Wembanyama, and the Philadelphia 76ers, who have integrated LeBron James into a core that includes Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
The Boston Celtics, the league’s record-holders with 18 titles, continue to rely on the partnership of Jayson Tatum and Paul George. Since 2018, no team has successfully defended an NBA championship, a trend the Knicks are attempting to reverse this year.
German Players in the NBA
The 2026/27 season features several German athletes across various rosters. Dennis Schröder begins the season with the Charlotte Hornets, marking his 13th team in the league. Franz Wagner remains with the Orlando Magic, while his brother, Moritz Wagner, has joined the Brooklyn Nets.
Other players include Tristan da Silva with the Orlando Magic and Isaiah Hartenstein, who won a championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2025. Maximilian Kleber continues his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks’ roster includes 24-year-old center Ariel Hukporti, while the Charlotte Hornets have added rookies Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr. to their ranks.
How the NBA Cup and Play-In Tournament Work
The teams seeded seven through ten participate in a play-in tournament. Yes, every game in the NBA Cup counts toward the regular season standings, with the sole exception of the tournament final.
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