NBA Season 2025-26: Full Schedule, Preview, Key Dates, Players, Teams and How to Watch Live

Basketball fans, the wait is almost over! As the NBA begins its 80th season on Wednesday, October 22, it will bring with it another year of thrilling action and gripping plots. The NBA 2025–26 season is something that fans eagerly anticipate, and it officially begins on October 24, 2025. All 67 of the regular-season games are available for seamless viewing on a range of devices thanks to Prime Video’s unique streaming service. Before their game against the Houston Rockets on NBA Opening Night, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have a banner ceremony, which is sure to be an exciting event. Basketball legends Stephen Curry and LeBron James will face off at this eagerly anticipated event. Pregame coverage will start on October 21 at 7 PM ET for the season’s opening game.

An arduous 82-game regular season will be played by 30 teams divided between two conferences in an attempt to earn a playoff berth and, eventually, the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

After the opener, the NBA 2025–26 schedule features several games of interest. Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson will be among the Cleveland Cavaliers’ players when they play the New York Knicks on October 22. In addition, a game between the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors will kick off the NBA on Prime on October 24.

Everything you need to know to get ready for the new campaign is right here, including important dates and schedule information, the best teams and players to watch, and how to watch the games live.

Teams and players to keep an eye on during the 2025–2026 NBA season

It appears that the NBA’s talent pool gets deeper with each new season, and 2025–2026 will be no exception.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, enter with a huge target on their backs following a historic 2024–25 season in which they won their first title since moving from Seattle in 2008. Even though no team has successfully defended their title since the Golden State Warriors in 2018, they are the favorites to repeat since they have a large portion of their core intact and have elite players on both ends of the floor.

The Denver Nuggets, whose three-time MVP Nikola Jokić nearly led them to defeating the Thunder in the Conference semifinals, could be their biggest Western rivals. Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs may be ready for a postseason comeback after six seasons away, while Steph Curry, the star of the USA’s historic gold medal match versus France at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, is still vying for a fifth ring.

The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James come next. In his 23rd season, the NBA’s top scorer will turn 41 and probably break the record for most games played. But could this be his final season before Luka Dončić takes over?

What about the Dallas Mavericks and Cooper Flagg? Even while some contend the Mavericks may not have a championship-caliber squad (at least on paper), it will be interesting to watch how the Duke product adjusts to the demands of NBA basketball. The first overall pick in the 2025 Draft appears to be a generational prospect.

Following their incredible journey to the Finals last year, the Indiana Pacers are facing fresh obstacles in the Eastern Conference.

Myles Turner joined the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason, and Tyrese Haliburton is recuperating from an Achilles rupture sustained in Game 7 of the Finals.

Speaking of the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to be in excellent condition once more after leading Greece to a bronze medal at EuroBasket 2025, which he called “probably the greatest” achievement of his career.

With a roster full of talented players like Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns, the New York Knicks could be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. They could seriously contend for the team’s first NBA championship in more than 50 years.

NBA 2025–2026 important dates

21 October 2025 – Start of the 2025–26 NBA Regular Season (Opening Night: Rockets at Thunder | Warriors at Lakers)

31 October 2025 – Emirates NBA Cup 2025 group play begins

1 November 2025 – NBA Mexico City Game (Detroit Pistons vs Dallas Mavericks at Arena CDMX)

28 November 2025 – Emirates NBA Cup group play concludes

9–10 December 2025 – NBA Cup knockout rounds (quarterfinals)

13 December 2025 – NBA Cup semifinals (Las Vegas)

16 December 2025 – NBA Cup championship game (Las Vegas)

15 January 2026 – NBA Berlin Game (Magic vs Grizzlies, Uber Arena)

18 January 2026 – NBA London Game (Magic vs Grizzlies, The O₂)

5 February 2026 – NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)

13–15 February 2026 – NBA All-Star Weekend (Los Angeles, Intuit Dome)

12 April 2026 – End of regular season (all 30 teams play)

14–17 April 2026 – Play-In Tournament

18 April 2026 – NBA Playoffs begin

4 June 2026 – NBA Finals begin

A quick look at the complete NBA schedule for 2025–2026 on NBC

The 2025–2026 NBA action schedule across NBC and Peacock, which includes three different show presentations (Peacock NBA Monday, Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, and Sunday Night Basketball) and is distributed over three game nights in some weeks, puts a huge exclamation point on the league’s historic return to the NBC family of networks.

Here is the full schedule, complete with all 100 regular-season games, without further ado!

All listings are in Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Tuesday, October 21: Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder — 7:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, October 21: Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers — 10 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, October 27: Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, October 27: Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, October 28: New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, October 28: Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Saturday, November 1: Dallas Mavericks vs. Detroit Pistons — 10 p.m. (Peacock*)
Monday, November 3: Minnesota Timberwolves at Brooklyn Nets — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, November 4: Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, November 4: Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, November 10: Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, November 11: Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, November 11: Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, November 17: Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, November 18: Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, November 18: Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, November 24: Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, November 24: Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, November 25: Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, November 25: Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, December 1: Chicago Bulls at Orlando Magic — 7:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, December 1: Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers — 10 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, December 2: New York Knicks at Boston Celtics — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, December: Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, December 8: Sacramento Kings at Indiana Pacers — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, December 8: San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, December 15: (TBD) — Peacock
Monday, December 22: Charlotte Hornets at Cleveland Cavaliers — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, December 22: Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, December 23: Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, December 23: Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers — 11 p.m. ( NBC, Peacock)
Monday, December 29: Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, December 29: Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, December 30: Philadelphia 76ers at Memphis Grizzlies — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, December 30: Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Clippers — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, January 5: New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, January 5: Denver Nuggets at Philadelphia 76ers — 8:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, January 5: Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers — 10 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, January 6: Miami Heat at Minnesota Timberwolves — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, January 6: Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, January 12: Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers — 7:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, January 12: Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings — 10 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, January 13: Minnesota Timberwolves at Milwaukee Bucks — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, January 13: Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, January 19: Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks — 1 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, January 19: Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers — 2:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, January 19: Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks — 5 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, January 19: Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, January 20: San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, January 20: Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets — 10 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, January 26: Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, January 26: Portland Trail Blazers at Boston Celtics — 8 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, January 26: Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, January 27: Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, January 27: Los Angeles Clippers at Utah Jazz — 10 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, February 1: Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks — 7 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo)
Sunday, February 1: Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets — 9:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo)
Monday, February 2: Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, February 2: Minnesota Timberwolves at Memphis Grizzlies — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, February 3: Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, February 2: Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, February 9: Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic — 7:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, February 9: Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers — 10 p.m. (Peacock)
Sunday, February 22: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers — 6:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo)
Monday, February 23: San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, February 23: Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, February 24: New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, February 24: Minnesota Timberwolves at Portland Trail Blazers — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, March 1: Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo)
Monday, March 2: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks — 7:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, March 2: Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors — 10 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, March 3: San Antonio Spurs at Philadelphia 76ers — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, March 3: Phoenix Suns at Sacramento Kings — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, March 8: Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo)
Monday, March 9: Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder — 7:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, March 9: New York Knicks at Los Angeles Clippers — 10 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, March 10: Dallas Mavericks at Atlanta Hawks — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, March 10: Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, March 15: Golden State Warriors at New York Knicks — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo)
Monday, March 16: Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, March 16: Phoenix Suns at Boston Celtics — 8 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, March 16: Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets — 9 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, March 17: Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, March 17: San Antonio Spurs at Sacramento Kings — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, March 22: Minnesota Timberwolves at Boston Celtics — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo)
Monday, March 23: Memphis Grizzlies at Atlanta Hawks — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, March 23: Golden State Warriors at Dallas Mavericks — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, March 24: Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, March 24: Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, March 29: New York Knicks at Oklahoma City Thunder — 7:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, March 29: Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets — 10 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo)
Monday, March 30: Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Monday, March 30: Detroit Pistons at Oklahoma City Thunder — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, March 31: New York Knicks at Houston Rockets — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, March 31: Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, April 5: Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks — 7:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo)
Sunday, April 5: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors — 10 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo)
Monday, April 6: New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks — 7 p.m. (Peacock)
Tuesday, April 7: Minnesota Timberwolves at Indiana Pacers — 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Tuesday, April 7: Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns — 11 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)

Listings with “” denote the NBA Mexico City Game 2025 from Arena CDMX. Listings with “*” denote Emirates NBA Cup Group Play games.

How to watch the 2025-26 NBA season live

The United States NBA fans can watch the 2025–2026 season on NBC, ABC, ESPN, and Prime Video. A few games will be streamed on each network’s platform.

Some NBA Cup, Playoff, and Finals coverage will be available on Sky Sports and Prime Video in the UK and Ireland.

NBA League Pass, which offers both full and condensed broadcasts based on your region, is still the best way to watch every game live or on demand worldwide.