Scheduled
Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons
2026-27 · Regular season
NBA 2026-27 key dates: Cup final at Hinkle on Dec. 11, Feb. 11 trade deadline and All-Star weekend in Phoenix
Every date to circle in the 2026-27 NBA season: opening night, NBA Cup rounds and the Hinkle Fieldhouse final, Mexico City, Paris and Manchester games, Christmas Day, the trade deadline, All-Star weekend, the play-in and the playoffs.
In this article
The 2026-27 NBA calendar is set from opening night to the last day of the regular season, and the dates fans will plan around start Tuesday, October 20, and run through a Friday, December 11, NBA Cup final at Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse, a Thursday, February 11, trade deadline and All-Star weekend in Phoenix from February 19 to 21.
Today, Monday, October 19, is the last stop before games count: rosters for opening day are due at 5 p.m. ET, and it is also the final day for rookie scale extensions. From Tuesday on, every date below is either a game you can circle or a deadline that will shape the trade market.
2026-27 NBA key dates at a glance
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Tue, Oct. 20 | Opening night on NBC and Peacock: Celtics at Pistons (3 p.m. ET), 76ers at Knicks with the title banner raised (7 p.m.), Thunder at Spurs |
| Fri, Oct. 30 | NBA Cup group play begins |
| Tue, Nov. 3 | Election Day, no games on the schedule |
| Sat, Nov. 7 | NBA Mexico City Game: Nuggets vs. Pacers at Arena CDMX, 5 p.m. ET on NBA TV |
| Late November | Cup group stage closes, with an ESPN tripleheader on Wednesday, Nov. 25, and a Prime Video doubleheader on Black Friday, Nov. 27 |
| Dec. 4-5 | Cup quarterfinals |
| Dec. 8-9 | Cup semifinals, played in the higher seeds’ home arenas |
| Fri, Dec. 11 | NBA Cup championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, on Prime Video |
| Fri, Dec. 25 | Five Christmas games on ABC and ESPN |
| Thu, Jan. 14 | NBA Paris Game: Pelicans at Spurs, Accor Arena, 2 p.m. ET on Prime Video |
| Sun, Jan. 17 | NBA Manchester Game: Spurs at Pelicans, Co-op Live, 10:30 a.m. ET on Prime Video |
| Thu, Feb. 11 | Trade deadline |
| Feb. 19-21 | All-Star weekend in Phoenix; the game is Sunday, Feb. 21, at Mortgage Matchup Center on NBC |
| Sun, April 11 | Final day of the regular season, all 30 teams in action |
| April 13-16 | Play-in tournament, every game on Prime Video |
| Sat, April 17 | Playoffs begin |
| June | NBA Finals on ABC (exact dates not yet announced) |
How the Cup works this year
The format is the same in the group stage: 30 teams in six groups of five, three groups per conference. The three group winners in each conference and one wild card move on to an eight-team knockout bracket. The quarterfinal and semifinal games count as games 81 and 82 in the standings; the final is a bonus 83rd game that does not.
The big change is the venue. Las Vegas hosted the first three finals, but this season the semifinals move to the higher seeds’ home buildings and the title game goes to Hinkle Fieldhouse. The 1928 building, a National Historic Landmark that once hosted the Indiana high school state tournament and the 1968 ABA All-Star Game, seats about 9,100, so title-game tickets will be among the scarcest of the season. The league has not yet announced ticket prices for the final.
Christmas Day lineup
- Spurs at Knicks, noon ET
- Heat at Celtics, 2:30 p.m. ET
- 76ers at Lakers, 5 p.m. ET
- Thunder at Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET
- Nuggets at Warriors, 10:30 p.m. ET
Because Christmas falls on a Friday, Prime Video moves its holiday doubleheader to Wednesday, Dec. 23, and NBC adds Holiday Hoops games on Dec. 22, 28 and 29.
What comes next
The season opens Tuesday with Celtics at Pistons at 3 p.m. ET. The league has not yet announced the dates for All-Star voting or the draft lottery. Each team’s own calendar of giveaways and theme nights is on its page, starting with the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs.
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