Key dates for 2025-26 NBA season

Key dates, important events and season information for 2025-26 season.

Official release

Updated on May 21, 2026 6:04 PM

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Below is a list of key dates and important events for the 2025-26 NBA Season:

> 2025-26 Season Dates

May 22: All-Defensive Team & Social Justice Champion announcements on Peacock, 7:30 p.m. ET
May 22-31: BAL Playoffs & Finals
May 24: All-NBA Team announcement on NBA, Peacock, 7:00 p.m. ET
May 26: Coach of the Year announcement, Peacock, 7:30 p.m. ET
May 27: Deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA Draft who want to retain NCAA eligibility
June 3: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 1 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
June 5: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 2 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
June 8: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 3 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
June 10: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 4 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
June 13: Deadline for an Early Entry player to withdraw from 2026 NBA Draft (5 p.m. ET)
June 13: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 5 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
June 16: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 6 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
June 19: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 7 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
June 23: NBA Draft First Round, 8 ET (ABC/ESPN)
June 24: NBA Draft Second Round, 8 ET (ESPN)

> 2026-27 Season Dates

July 3-6, 2026: California Classic Summer League – Two locations:
- Chase Center in San Francisco, California – July 3, 5-6
  - Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs
- Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California – July 4-6
  - Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings
July 4, 6-7, 2026: Salt Lake City Summer League
- Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
  - Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder
July 9-19, 2026: 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas
Aug. 14-15: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Enshrinement Weekend
Oct 9 & 11: NBA Preseason | NBA China Games 2026 | Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets | The Venetian Arena (Macao)
Nov. 7: NBA Mexico City Game | Denver Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers | Arena CDMX
Jan. 14, 2027: NBA Paris Game | San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans | Accor Arena
Jan. 17: NBA Manchester Game | San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans | Co-op Live

> Past Key Dates: 2025-26 Season

June 30, 2025: Each NBA team may begin negotiating with all other upcoming free agents (beginning at 6 p.m. ET)
July 6: Each NBA team may begin signing free agents to contracts (12:01 p.m. ET)
July 5-6, 8: California Classic Summer League at Chase Center in San Francisco, California (Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs)
July 5, 7-8: Salt Lake City Summer League at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah (Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers)
July 9: PlayStation NBA Creator Cup, 10 p.m. ET (@NBA YouTube, NBA App, NBA.com)
July 10-20: NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas
July 10: ESPN Summer League tip-off games from Las Vegas – Dallas vs. Los Angeles Lakers (8 ET), San Antonio Spurs vs. Philadelphia 76ers (10 ET)
Aug. 27-Sept. 14: FIBA EuroBasket
Sept. 5-6: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Enshrinement Weekend
Sept. 23: Earliest date for Media days for teams traveling outside of North America for 2025 Preseason: Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers (Sept 26th), New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns (Sept. 24th)
Sept. 23: First allowable date for players participating in preseason games in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Australia and China to report to their teams (no earlier than 11 a.m. local time)
Sept. 24: Earliest date training camp can open for teams participating in preseason games outside of North America
Sept. 29: First allowable date for all other veteran players to report to their teams (no earlier than 11 a.m. local time)
Sept. 29: NBA Training Camps open and Media days for remaining 25 teams
Oct. 2 & 4: 2025 Pre season: NBA Abu Dhabi Games | Knicks vs. 76ers | Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi
Oct. 3 & 5: 202 5 Preseason: Melbourne Series | Pelicans vs. NBL teams | Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia
Oct. 6: 2025 Preseason: 2025 NBA Canada Series | Nuggets vs. Raptors | Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C.
Oct. 10 & 12: 2025 Preseason: NBA China Games | Nets vs. Suns | The Venetian Arena in Macao
Oct. 17: NBA Preseason ends
Oct. 20: Rosters set for NBA Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
Oct. 20: NBA Jersey Day
Oct. 21: Start of the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season – Opening Night
Oct. 25: NBA G League Draft
Oct. 27-Nov. 6: NBA G League Training Camp
Oct. 31: Emir ates NBA Cup 20 25– Group Play tips off on Prime Video
Nov. 1: NBA Mexico City Game 2025 – Detroit Pistons vs. Dallas Mavericks at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico (Peacock)
Nov. 6: Rosters set for NBA G League Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
Nov. 7: NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament begins
Nov. 21-23: NBA ID Member Days – stream League Pass games with your NBA ID (U.S. only)
Nov. 28: Emirate s NBA Cup 2025 – Group Play concludes
Dec. 9: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Knockout Rounds (East Quarterfinals – Heat at Magic, 6 ET; Knicks at Raptors, 8:30 ET) on Prime Video
Dec. 10: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Knockout Rounds (West Quarterfinals – Suns at Thunder, 7:30 ET; Spurs at Lakers, 10 ET) on Prime Video
Dec. 12: PlayStation NBA C reator Cup at 8 p.m. PT from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV (Live streaming on @NBA YouTube, Facebook, NBA App, NBA.com)
Dec. 13: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Semifinals (Las Vegas, NV – East Semifinal, 5:30 ET; West Semifinal, 9 ET) on Prime Video
Dec. 16: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Championship (Knicks vs Spurs – Las Vegas, NV – 8:30 ET) on Prime Video
Dec. 17: NBA All-Star Voting tips off (12 p.m. ET)
Dec. 21: World Basketball Day
Dec. 19-22: NBA G League Winter Showcase
Dec. 25: Christmas Day (12 p.m. ET: Cavs at Knicks | 2:30 p.m. ET: Spurs at Thunder | 5 p.m. ET: Mavs at Warriors | 8 p.m. ET: Rockets at Lakers | 10:30 p.m. ET: Wolves at Nuggets) — All games on ABC and ESPN
Dec. 27: NBA G League 36-game regular season begins
Jan. 5, 2026: 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10: All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Jan. 14: NBA All-Star Voting concludes (11:59 p.m. ET)
Jan. 15: NBA Berlin Game 2026 – Magic vs. Grizzlies at Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany (Prime Video)
Jan. 18: NBA London Game 2026 – Magic vs. Grizzlies at The O2 Arena in London, England (Prime Video)
Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day [1 p.m. ET: Bucks at Hawks (Peacock) | 2:30 p.m. ET: Thunder at Cavs (NBC, Peacock) | 5 p.m. ET: Mavs at Knicks (NBC, Peacock) | 8 p.m. ET: Celtics at Pistons (NBC, Peacock)
Jan. 19: 2026 All-Star Game Starters announced | 2 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
Jan. 20-24: AWS NBA Rivals Week
Feb. 1: NBA Pioneers Classic – Bucks at Celtics, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Feb. 1: 2026 NBA All-Star Game Reserves announced
Feb. 5: NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)
Feb. 13-15: 2026 NBA All-Star in Los Angeles, CA
Feb. 13: Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA | 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Feb. 13: Castrol Rising Stars at Intuit Dome | 9 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Feb. 13: 2026 NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T – Hampton University vs. North Carolina A&T at Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA | 11 p.m. ET (Peacock, ESPN 2 & NBA TV)
Feb. 14: NBA All-Star Media Day presented by AT&T at Intuit Dome | 1:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Feb. 14: NBA All-Star Saturday at Intuit Dome | 5 p.m. ET (NBC & Peacock)
Feb. 15: 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome | 5 p.m. ET (NBC & Peacock)
March 1: Playoff eligibility waiver deadline
March 13-15: NBA ID Member Days
March 27-April 5: BAL – Kalahari Conference group phase play
March 28: NBA G League Regular Season ends
March 31: 2026 NBA G League Playoffs begin
April 8: NBA G League Finals – Game 1: Stockton at Greensboro (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNews)
April 10: NBA G League Finals – Game 2: Greensboro at Stockton (10 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
April 12: Regular season ends (All 30 teams play)
April 13: Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3 p.m. ET)
April 14: Play-In – Miami at Charlotte (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime) | Portland at Phoenix (10 p.m. ET, Prime)
April 15: Play-In – Orlando at Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime) | Golden State vs LA Clippers (10 p.m. ET, Prime)
April 14-17: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
April 17: Play-In – Charlotte at Orlando (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime) | Golden State at Phoenix (10 p.m. ET, Prime)
April 18: NBA Playoffs begin
April 20: Kia Defensive Player of the Year announcement, 6 p.m. ET (Peacock, NBCSN)
April 21: Kia Clutch Player of the Year announcement, 6 p.m. ET (Peacock, NBCSN)
April 22: Kia Sixth Man of the Year announcement, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN)
April 23: NBA Sportsmanship Award announcement, 12 p.m. ET (@NBAPR)
April 24-May 3: BAL – Sahara Conference group phase play
April 24: Kia Most Improved Player of the Year announcement, 6:30 p.m. ET (Prime)
April 24: Deadline for an Early Entry player to apply for 2026 NBA Draft (11:59 p.m. ET)
April 27: Kia Rookie of the Year announcement, 7 p.m. ET (Peacock, NBCSN)
April 28: Basketball Executive of the Year announcement, 1 p.m. ET (@NBAPR)
April 29: Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year announcement, 1 p.m. ET (@NBAPR)
April 30: Kia Hustle Award announcement, 1 p.m. ET (@NBAPR)
May 4: Conference Semifinals begin
May 8-10: AWS NBA G League Combine in Chicago
May 10: 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
May 10-17: AWS NBA Draft Combine in Chicago
May 18: Western Conference Finals begin on NBC/Peacock
May 19: Eastern Conference Finals begin on ESPN/ABC
May 20: All-Rookie Team announcement on Peacock, 7:30 p.m. ET