Big game energy doesn't wait for the Finals.
It's there on opening night, in a Cup final at Hinkle Fieldhouse, in a Christmas Day quintuple header, in a trade deadline that can flip a contender overnight.
The 2026-27 NBA season runs from October to June, and here's every date worth having marked before the ball's even tipped.
All dates and times listed are subject to change. Select regular season games are available to watch Amazon Prime Video, while the NBA League Pass lets you watch live, on-demand games.
Preseason and training camp
28 September: Media day for the remaining 28 teams; final date for veterans to report to camp
29 September: Training camps open league-wide
3 October: Preseason begins, including the NBA Canada Games opener (Toronto Raptors vs. Miami Heat, Quebec City)
9 & 11 October: NBA China Games (Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets, Macao)
10 October: NBA Canada Games (Toronto Raptors vs. LA Clippers, Vancouver)
19 October: Rosters set for Opening Day
Opening night – 20 October
The regular season tips off with a three-game slate:
Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics (8 p.m. GMT)
New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers (12 a.m. GMT, 21 October)
San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2:30 a.m. GMT, 21 October)
Straight to the action from the tip. Futures markets — title odds, MVP, Rookie of the Year — are worth checking before this date, since prices change once teams start playing for real.
The Emirates NBA Cup
The in-season tournament returns for its fourth edition:
30 October: Group play tips off
27 November: Group play concludes
4-5 December: Quarter-finals
8 and/or 9 December: Semi-finals
11 December: Championship game at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
The Cup final moves to a new venue this season, part of a plan to rotate the championship through more distinctive arenas. Group and knockout games (bar the final) count toward the regular season standings, which makes Cup markets worth keeping track of alongside the usual game lines.
Global Games
There are three international NBA games this season:
7 November: Indiana Pacers vs. Denver Nuggets – Arena CDMX, Mexico City
14 January 2027: San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans – Accor Arena, Paris
17 January 2027: New Orleans Pelicans vs. San Antonio Spurs – Co-op Live, Manchester
The Manchester date is one for UK fans in particular, providing a rare shot at NBA action on home soil.
NBA on Christmas Day – 25 December
Five games, back to back:
New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs (5 p.m. GMT)
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat (7:30 p.m. GMT)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers (10 p.m. GMT)
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (1 a.m. GMT, 26 December)
Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets (3:30 a.m. GMT, 26 December)
All-day action. Five games means five separate markets worth a look, not just one headline fixture.
New Year into All-Star
5 January: 10-day contracts can be signed
10 January: All contracts guaranteed for the rest of the season
18 January: NBA on MLK Day:
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons
Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
New York Knicks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Houston Rockets
26-30 January: AWS NBA Rivals Week
3 February: NBA Pioneers Classic, Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks
11 February: Trade deadline
15 February: NBA on Presidents' Day:
Charlotte Hornets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs
Golden State Warriors vs. Indiana Pacers
19-21 February: NBA All-Star 2027, Phoenix, AZ
19-24 February: All-Star break
The trade deadline is one of the season's genuine inflection points for futures markets, and a single move can drastically affect a team's title odds, so it's worth checking lines both before and after 11 February.
The run-in
27 March: G League regular season ends
30 March: G League Playoffs begin
11 April: Regular season ends – all 30 teams play
12 April: Rosters set for the Playoffs
13-16 April: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
Playoffs and NBA Finals dates for 2027 have not yet been confirmed. We'll update this page once they land.
The final day of the regular season often has playoff seeding still live, so it's one of the sharpest nights of the year for line movement.
Looking ahead
27 August-12 September 2027: FIBA Basketball World Cup, Qatar
Betting across the NBA season
A packed calendar like this recognises a bit of groundwork before you dive in, from reading a moneyline to understanding how futures markets move as the season goes on. Our ultimate NBA betting guide covers exactly that, whether you're new to basketball betting or brushing up before the opening night.
Whatever's on the schedule, remember the season's a marathon: set your limits before it starts, not partway through the Cup final.
NBA 2026-27 season FAQs
When does the 2026-27 NBA season start?
The regular season opens on 20 October 2026, with three games getting this year's action underway.
When is the NBA trade deadline for 2026-27?
11 February 2027. Team rosters, and title odds, can shift considerably around this date.
When are the NBA Playoffs and Finals in 2027?
The regular season ends 11 April 2027, followed by the Play-In Tournament (13-16 April) and the Playoffs. Specific Finals dates haven't yet been confirmed.
