NBA 2026-27 key dates: roster deadline, Cup knockouts, trade deadline and Play-In

The NBA has updated its official 2026-27 key dates calendar, and it fills in the deadlines and checkpoints that the game schedule alone does not show: when rosters must be set, when the Emirates NBA Cup knockout rounds are played, when the trade market closes and when the Play-In Tournament begins.

The list, published by the league on NBA.com and last updated on Oct. 13, runs from the final preseason days through the start of the 2027 playoffs. All times below are US Eastern.

Before opening night

• Thursday-Friday, Oct. 15-16: NBA ID Member Days during the last days of preseason action.
• Monday, Oct. 19, 5 p.m. ET: Rosters must be set for NBA Opening Day, the league’s cut-down deadline for training-camp contracts.
• Tuesday, Oct. 20: The regular season begins with an NBC/Peacock tripleheader: Celtics at Pistons (3 p.m.), 76ers at Knicks (7 p.m.) and Thunder at Spurs (9:30 p.m.).
• Saturday, Oct. 24: NBA G League Draft. G League training camps follow from Oct. 26 to Nov. 5, with G League opening-night rosters due Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. and the G League Tip-Off Tournament starting Nov. 6.

Emirates NBA Cup: from group play to Hinkle Fieldhouse

Cup group play tips off on Friday, Oct. 30 on Prime Video and concludes on Friday, Nov. 27. The league’s calendar then sets the knockout path:

• Friday-Saturday, Dec. 4-5: Quarterfinals.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8 and/or Wednesday, Dec. 9: Semifinals.
• Friday, Dec. 11: Championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, on Prime Video.

Because the knockout games are added to the schedule only after group play, they do not yet appear in team schedules or in most date-based calendars.

A larger-than-life trophy, city-wide scavenger hunt and a half-court swish – the countdown to the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup is on in Indianapolis!

Tune in to @NBAonPrime on December 11 for the Emirates NBA Cup Championship at the iconic Hinkle Fieldhouse.

More information available… https://t.co/KGhvHBsEHy

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 2, 2026

Contract checkpoints in January

• Tuesday, Jan. 5: Teams may begin signing 10-day contracts.
• Sunday, Jan. 10: All NBA contracts become guaranteed for the remainder of the season.

The two dates bracket a busy roster window: players still on non-guaranteed deals in early January are the ones teams must decide on before the guarantee date.

Special dates on the national calendar

• Monday, Jan. 18 (MLK Day): Pistons vs. Cavaliers (12 p.m.), 76ers vs. Hawks (2:30 p.m.) and Timberwolves vs. Knicks (5 p.m.) on NBC/Peacock, plus Rockets vs. Grizzlies (7:30 p.m.) on Peacock.
• Jan. 26-30: AWS NBA Rivals Week.
• Wednesday, Feb. 3: NBA Pioneers Classic, Knicks at Pistons (7 p.m., ESPN).
• Monday, Feb. 15 (Presidents’ Day): Timberwolves vs. Hornets (12 p.m.), 76ers vs. Mavericks (2:30 p.m.) and Spurs vs. Heat (5 p.m.) on NBC/Peacock, plus Pacers vs. Warriors (7:30 p.m.) on NBCSN.

Trade deadline and All-Star

• Thursday, Feb. 11: NBA Trade Deadline.
• Feb. 19-21: NBA All-Star 2027 in Phoenix, inside an All-Star break that runs Feb. 19-24.
• Monday, March 1: Playoff eligibility waiver deadline. Players waived after this date cannot appear in the postseason for a new team.

The road to the playoffs

• Sunday, April 11: The regular season ends, with all 30 teams playing.
• Monday, April 12, 3 p.m. ET: Rosters set for the 2027 playoffs.
• Tuesday-Friday, April 13-16: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament.
• Saturday, April 17: The 2027 NBA Playoffs begin.

In the G League, the regular season ends March 27 and the 2027 G League playoffs start March 30.

Global Games and Christmas

The calendar also confirms the league’s international and holiday dates: the Mexico City Game between the Nuggets and Pacers at Arena CDMX on Nov. 7; the Spurs and Pelicans at Accor Arena in Paris on Jan. 14 (2 p.m. ET, Prime Video); and the same teams at Co-op Live in Manchester on Jan. 17 (10:30 a.m. ET, Prime Video). Christmas Day features five games on ABC/ESPN, opening with Spurs vs. Knicks at 12 p.m.

For every milestone in one place, see WhyNBA’s key dates page and season guide.

Source: NBA (official 2026-27 key dates, updated Oct. 13), NBA Communications.