Top rookies will square off, with No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg facing No. 2 pick Dylan Harper and All-Star Victor Wembanyama in an opening-week contest between the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs.
Former Rutgers teammates Ace Bailey and Harper will face off in December when the Utah Jazz play the Spurs. Meanwhile, James will embark on his record-breaking 23rd season in the league.
These are just some of the storylines we can’t wait to watch. ESPN’s NBA insiders break down the most anticipated games of the upcoming season, including opening night, every big revenge matchup, the five-game Christmas Day slate and key superstar showdowns.
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NBA schedule FAQs
Opening night matchups
Must-see reunions
Rivalry rematches
Christmas showdowns
Superstar, rookie showdowns
Schedule for all 30 teams
NBA schedule FAQs
When does the preseason begin?
The Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns begin training camp Sept. 24 ahead of preseason games in Abu Dhabi, UAE; Melbourne, Australia; and China. The rest of the teams will start camp Sept. 29.
When is opening night?
The NBA regular season begins Oct. 21 with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers welcoming the Golden State Warriors.
When is the Emirates NBA Cup, also known as the in-season tournament?
The third edition of the tournament begins Oct. 31 when group play tips off. Group play ends on Nov. 28, with the knockout rounds running through Dec. 9-10. The semifinals will be on Dec. 13 and the championship will be held on Dec. 16.
What is the Christmas schedule?
There will be five games Dec. 25:
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (12 p.m. ET)
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (2:30 p.m. ET)
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers (8 p.m. ET)
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors (5 p.m. ET)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m. ET)
When and where is the All-Star Game?
The NBA All-Star Game will take place Feb. 15, 2026, at Intuit Dome, home of the LA Clippers.
Opening-night matchups
Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder
Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. ET | NBC, Peacock
Will Thunder fans’ angst over Kevin Durant’s decision to leave Oklahoma City in free agency in 2016 finally dissipate now that the NBA’s next dynasty could be blossoming in Bricktown? His presence at the Paycom Center as the franchise’s first championship banner is raised to the rafters will provide a good litmus test. Houston’s trade for Durant — a deal fittingly agreed to on the morning of the Thunder’s title-clinching Game 7 win — might make the Rockets the defending champions’ toughest challenger in the Western Conference. Mix in the history between the Rockets’ new centerpiece and the Thunder, and this is a marquee matchup worthy of tipping off a season. — Tim MacMahon
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers
Oct. 21, 10 p.m. ET | NBC, Peacock
One of the simplest ways to ensure an older star is rested and revved up for a particular matchup is to make it the first of 82 games. Barring a preseason injury, both LeBron James, 40, and Stephen Curry, 37, should be out there for their 56th career head-to-head matchup. James has the slight regular-season upper hand: a 14-13 record. Curry has the playoff crown: 17-11 record, 3 series to 2. There’s no telling how many more matchups the basketball world will see between them. This one will generate plenty of spotlight and should be competitive, considering both teams are projected to finish similarly in the conference. — Anthony Slater
Bad blood? Must-see reunions
Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns
Nov. 24, 9:30 p.m. ET | Peacock
Reunions tend to work out favorably for Kevin Durant but not so much for the opposing team. The two-time NBA Finals MVP has won whenever he has returned for the first time to play on the road against a former team. Durant dropped 34 in his return to OKC as a Warrior, 20 in a 134-117 rout of Golden State in his first game back in the Bay and 33 when Phoenix blasted the Nets in Brooklyn. Now, he’s leading a contender against a retooled roster in Phoenix. — Michael C. Wright
Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers
Nov. 3, 7:00 p.m. ET
The most shocking move of the summer came when the Bucks, with no cap space, signed center Myles Turner out of nowhere by waiving Damian Lillard and stretching the remaining $113 million owed in the final two years of his contract over the rest of this decade. With Turner now on the team that was knocked out of the playoffs by the Pacers the past two seasons, more fuel has been added to what has quietly become one of the NBA’s more intense rivalries. — Tim Bontemps
Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics
Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m. ET
In 24 hours in June, the Celtics moved on from two key cogs of their championship-winning team from a year ago, sending Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks. The Porzingis move was one of several Atlanta made this summer that could push the Hawks back into contention for a top-four seed in the East, and it should add spice to the Latvian’s return to Boston, where he became a fan favorite in his two seasons in Celtic green. — Bontemps
Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers
Jan. 19, 2:30 p.m. ET | NBC, Peacock
This isn’t just a matchup between the two defending No. 1 seeds but also a clash of styles, as the Cavaliers led the league in offensive rating last season and the Thunder were tops in defensive rating. The clichéd unstoppable force versus immovable object produced one of the best games of the 2024-25 regular season, a 129-122 Cavaliers win at home, before Oklahoma City got revenge with a 20-point victory a week later. This matchup should be just as compelling a year later, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams battling Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland for perimeter scoring, plus two elite double-big pairings going head-to-head in the frontcourt. — Zach Kram
Atlanta Hawks at Memphis Grizzlies
Jan. 21, 8:00 p.m. ET
The Grizzlies and Hawks had the NBA’s fastest offenses last season, each taking an average of 10.6 seconds per possession to shoot, per Inpredictable tracking. The teams’ second meeting last season showed just how fun a matchup between fast-paced teams can be: Atlanta won 132-130 in March when Dyson Daniels stripped Desmond Bane in the final seconds and threw the ball ahead to Caris LeVert for a buzzer-beating layup. — Kram
Run it back: Big rematches to watch
0:54
Perk labels Houston Rockets as ‘must-see TV’
Houston Rockets Poised to Be Must-See TV – Chapter by Kendrick Perkins, 08/14/2025
NBA Finals rematch
Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers
Oct. 23, 5:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
The Finals rematch loses a lot of luster due to the torn Achilles tendon Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered early in Game 7, an injury that will sideline him all season. But the friendly, fierce competition between MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his childhood buddy Andrew Nembhard, who will be the Pacers’ primary ballhandler in Haliburton’s absence, is always worth the price of admission. — MacMahon
Western Conference finals rematch
Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder
Nov 26, 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
Is this really a rivalry after a gentlemen’s sweep in the conference finals? The Timberwolves, who lost a key contributor with Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s free agency departure, must prove that they’re a serious challenger to a young Oklahoma City squad that returns its entire rotation. After advancing to the conference finals the past two years, Minnesota’s best bet to break through is for 24-year-old All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards to make another leap. There is no tougher test than the Thunder’s stifling defense headed by stopper Luguentz Dort. — MacMahon
Eastern Conference semifinals rematch
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks
Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET
Just a few months ago, these teams squared off in a playoff series that began with no one giving New York much of a chance after the Knicks were swept in the season series by the defending NBA champions. But then, after the Knicks mounted back-to-back stunning comebacks to begin the series, Jayson Tatum tore an Achilles on the Madison Square Garden floor in Game 5, changing the direction of not only the Celtics but the entire league. Now, it’s New York that is seen as one of the favorites to make the NBA Finals, while Boston finds itself in a rebuilding year. — Bontemps
Trae Young vs. the Garden
Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks
Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
The denizens of MSG love themselves a villain. Reggie Miller assumed that role with aplomb for prior generations of fans, and now Trae Young has taken to it for this group, with his name coming up even when the Hawks aren’t in attendance. But after Young ribbed the Knicks and their fans by pretending to roll dice on the court upon beating New York last season and with Atlanta looking like a factor in the East for the first time since making the conference finals in 2021 — a playoff run that sent the Knicks home in five games — expect venom to head the star point guard’s way when he appears in Gotham. — Bontemps
Highly anticipated holiday showdowns
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks
Dec. 25, noon ET | ESPN, ABC
The two favorites to make the East finals will kick off the Christmas slate, a matchup that also highlights the lack of star power around the conference as the other eight teams in action hail from West of the Mississippi. There’s plenty of juice in this showdown, though, with Donovan Mitchell going up against Jalen Brunson and Evan Mobley squaring off with Karl-Anthony Towns. We’ll get an early look at which of these teams has the edge in what could be a seasonlong staring contest. — Bontemps
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder
Dec. 25, 2:30 p.m. ET | ESPN, ABC
San Antonio paid close attention to Oklahoma City’s meticulous rebuild as it embarked on its own, making this matchup something of a litmus test for where the Spurs are headed. San Antonio hadn’t played on Christmas since 2016 before last season, when Victor Wembanyama scored a game-high 42 points — the most by a visitor on Christmas at Madison Square Garden — with 18 rebounds and four blocks in a 117-114 loss to the Knicks. Led by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the defending champion Thunder return to the Christmas Day slate for the first time since 2018. — Michael C. Wright
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors
Dec. 25, 5 p.m. ET | ESPN, ABC
The arena workers won’t be lined up from the loading dock to the locker room to greet Klay Thompson. The crowd won’t be given sailor hats to tip toward him in lineup introductions. Nothing will match the pageantry and emotion of his first return to San Francisco. But Thompson against the Warriors will always have a strange and amplified look to it, especially in Chase Center. So the league planted it on a showcase stage and will get a Cooper Flagg debut Christmas game out of it as well. — Slater
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers
Dec. 25, 8 p.m. ET | ESPN, ABC
LeBron James’ first Christmas Day game as a Laker came against Kevin Durant in 2018, and now the two all-time greats will face off again to anchor the festivities. A lot has changed since that last matchup, with Durant going from the Warriors to the Nets to the Suns to the Rockets. James has stayed in L.A., but his coach has gone from Luke Walton to Frank Vogel to Darvin Ham to JJ Redick. And Durant’s old coach in Brooklyn, Steve Nash, is James’ podcast co-host on “Mind the Game.” What has remained the same is both players’ elite production. Durant, 36, averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists last season. James, 40, averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in his 22nd campaign. — Dave McMenamin
Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets
Dec. 25, 10:30 p.m. ET | ESPN, ABC
A visit from Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves isn’t much of a Christmas gift for Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets. The Timberwolves have won the past five games between the rivals, a streak that dates to Minnesota’s historic road comeback in Game 7 of the 2024 Western Conference semifinals. Jokic had a 61-point triple-double in Denver’s last meeting with Minnesota, but that wasn’t enough for the Nuggets to pull out a win in a double-overtime classic. — MacMahon
All-Star showdowns and rookie matchups
MVP matchup
Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets
Feb. 1, 9:30 p.m. ET | NBC, Peacock
The most recent two MVPs — winners of four of the past five awards combined — have developed a rivalry of sorts despite playing different positions. Their teams met back-to-back in Oklahoma City in March, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivering 40 points in a blowout win the first night and Nikola Jokic answering with a 35-point, 18-rebound performance the next. Gilgeous-Alexander took not only his first MVP but also the seven-game playoff series between the two teams en route to the title. After Jokic’s Nuggets added reinforcements this summer, it could be a fairer fight this time around. — Kevin Pelton
Flagg vs. Luka
Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks
Nov. 28, 10 p.m. ET | Prime Video
Every Lakers-Mavs game figures to pack plenty of intrigue for years to come, but there are a couple of firsts to tune in for this season. All eyes will be on the matchup when Cooper Flagg, Dallas’ No. 1 pick, shares the court with Luka Doncic, the franchise’s former star, for the first time. It’s not hard to imagine the buzz that will permeate the arena when Doncic has Flagg defending him on a switch and starts dribbling the ball between his legs to set up a step-back 3. And the Mavs’ game in Los Angeles will be Anthony Davis’ first time playing there since last season’s trade, as he sat out Dallas’ game at Crypto.com Arena in February with an adductor strain. — McMenamin
Flagg vs. Wemby and No. 2 pick Harper
San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks
Oct. 22, 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
Circle Oct. 22 for one of the most plot-heavy opening-week matchups. Of course, top picks Flagg and Dylan Harper will make their NBA debuts against each other in what the league surely hopes will mark the start of a reenergized Mavs-Spurs rivalry. This should also be Victor Wembanyama’s first regular-season game as he returns from the blood-clot scare that ended his 2024-25 season. With Dallas and San Antonio hoping to mount playoff pushes, this game should have a lot going for it. — Jeremy Woo
Chet vs. Wemby Part III
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
Dec 23, 8:30 p.m. ET
The budding stars have faced off four times in their careers, with Holmgren owning three victories, including last year’s matchup when the Thunder big man played a significant role in limiting Wembanyama to career lows in points (6) and field goals (1). Expect the play on the floor between these ultracompetitive slim towers to belie the effort they’ll expend in downplaying this matchup. Wembanyama bested Holmgren for Rookie of the Year in 2023-24, but the latter took home championship hardware first. Wembanyama’s last win against OKC (Feb. 29, 2024) snapped a five-game skid against the Thunder. — Wright
Rutgers teammates face off
Utah Jazz at San Antonio Spurs
Dec. 27, 8:00 p.m. ET
Former college teammates Bailey and Harper will square off as opponents for the first time on Dec. 27 after hearing their names called in the top five on draft night. Though it’s hard to promise that this will be a pretty game — the Jazz will likely be spinning the lottery wheel again after this season — Bailey’s shotmaking prowess and Harper’s playmaking skills give them star potential in the long run. For those interested in the future of the league, this should be a must-watch (and not to mention, there’s Wemby). — Woo
Los Angeles Lakers at Cleveland Cavaliers
Jan. 28, 7:00 p.m. ET
LeBron James has had his way as a visiting player in Cleveland, going 9-3 with the Heat and Lakers while posting averages of 31.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 7.1 assists. Last season was one of those rare defeats, as the Cavs blew out L.A.,134-110 on the way to a 64-win season — the only time the franchise topped the 60-win plateau without James on the roster. He and the Lakers will come to Cleveland in late January in a game that both teams hope features two contenders, but more so, could be one of the last times James plays a game in his home in Northeast Ohio. — McMenamin
San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets
Nov 28, 9:30 p.m. ET
The NBA’s best defensive player hasn’t been able to slow the best offensive player in their meetings thus far: Nikola Jokic has averaged a whopping 36.8 points in six matchups against Victor Wembanyama, including 41 and 46 on back-to-back nights in their most recent games in January (albeit on more shots than Jokic usually attempts). Can Wembanyama do a better job containing Jokic in his third season? Or will Jokic remain well ahead of the budding star nine years his junior? — Kram
Every team’s full 2025-26 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
