Key dates for 2025-26 NBA season

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

Official release

Updated on October 2, 2025 8:01 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

Oct. 2 & 4: 2025 Preseason: NBA Abu Dhabi Games | Knicks vs. 76ers | Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi
Oct. 3 & 5: 2025 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 (7:30 p.m. ET: Rockets at Thunder | 10 p.m. ET: Warriors at Lakers) — All games on NBC and Peacock
Oct. 31: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Group Play tips off on Prime
Nov. 1: NBA Mexico City Game 2025 – Detroit Pistons vs. Dallas Mavericks at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico
Nov. 28: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Group Play concludes
Dec. 9-10: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Knockout Rounds (Quarterfinals) on Prime
Dec. 13: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Semifinals (Las Vegas, NV) on Prime
Dec. 16: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Championship (Las Vegas, NV) on Prime
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
Jan. 5: 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10: All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Jan. 15: NBA Berlin Games 2026 – Magic vs. Grizzlies (Berlin, Uber Arena)
Jan. 18: NBA London Games 2026 – Magic vs. Grizzlies (London, The O2)
Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (1 p.m. ET: Bucks at Hawks | 2:30 p.m. ET: Thunder at Cavs | 5 p.m. ET: Mavs at Knicks | 8 p.m. ET: Celtics at Pistons) — All games on NBC and Peacock
Jan. 20-24: NBA Rivals Week
Feb. 1: NBA Pioneers Classic – Bucks at Celtics, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Feb. 5: NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)
Feb. 13-15: 2026 NBA All-Star in Los Angeles, CA
Feb. 13: 2026 NBA HBCU Classic – Hampton University vs. North Carolina A&T at Kia Forum, Inglewood
March 1: Playoff eligibility waiver deadline
April 12: Regular season ends (All 30 teams play)
April 13: Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3 p.m. ET)

> Past Key Dates: 2025-26 Season

June 30: 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

> Future All-Star Dates

2027: Feb. 19-21 in Phoenix, AZ

> Past Key Dates: 2024-25 Season

June 30, 2024: Each NBA team may begin negotiating with all other upcoming free agents (beginning at 6 p.m. ET)
July 3-21: France Basketball Olympic exhibition games
July 6: Each NBA team may begin signing free agents to contracts (12:01 p.m. ET)
July 6-10: California Classic Summer League in both Sacramento & San Francisco
July 8-10: Salt Lake City Summer League (UTA, MEM, OKC, PHI)
July 12-22: NBA 2K25 Summer League (Las Vegas)
July 10: USA Basketball Showcase in Las Vegas: USA vs. Canada (10:30 ET, FS1)
July 15: USA Basketball Showcase in Abu Dhabi: USA vs. Australia (Noon ET, FS1)
July 17: USA Basketball Showcase in Abu Dhabi: USA vs. Serbia (Noon ET, FS1)
July 20: USA Basketball Showcase in London: USA vs. South Sudan (3 ET, FOX)
July 22: USA Basketball Showcase in London: USA vs. Germany (3 ET, FOX)
July 26-Aug. 11: Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Sept. 24: First allowable date for players participating in Celtics & Nuggets preseason games in Abu Dhabi, UAE to report to their teams (no earlier than 11 a.m. local time)
Sept. 24: Boston Celtics Media Day
Sept. 25: Training Camps open for all teams participating in preseason games outside North America
Sept. 26: Denver Nuggets Media Day
Sept. 30: First allowable date for all other veteran players to report to their teams (no earlier than 11 a.m. local time)
Sept. 30: Media Day for remaining 28 NBA teams
Oct. 1: NBA Training Camps open
Oct. 4: NBA Preseason games begin
Oct. 4 & 6: NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024 (Celtics vs. Nuggets | Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Oct. 6: NBA Canada Series (Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards | Montreal, QC)
Oct. 10: WNBA Finals, Game 1 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Oct. 13: WNBA Finals, Game 2 (3 p.m. ET, ABC)
Oct. 12-13: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend (Springfield, MA)
Oct. 16: WNBA Finals, Game 3 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Oct. 18: WNBA Finals, Game 4 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Oct. 18: NBA Preseason ends
Oct. 20: WNBA Finals, Game 5 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Oct. 21: NBA Jersey Day
Oct. 21: Rosters set for NBA Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
Oct. 22: Start of the 2024-25 NBA regular season
Oct. 22-26: Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024
Oct. 26: NBA G League Draft
Nov. 2: NBA Mexico City Game 2024 (Miami Heat vs. Washington Wizards, 9:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV | Mexico City, Mexico)
Nov. 4: All 30 teams in action. First game tips at 7 p.m. ET. All subsequent games will begin 15 minutes apart.
Nov. 5: Election Day (no games)
Oct. 28-Nov. 7: NBA G League Training Camp
Nov. 7: Rosters set for NBA G League Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
Nov. 8: NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament begins
Nov. 12: Emirates NBA Cup begins
Dec. 3: Emirates NBA Cup Group Stage concludes
Dec. 10: Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals (Magic at Bucks – 7 ET, TNT/Max | Mavericks at Thunder – 10 p.m. ET, TNT/Max)
Dec. 11: Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals (Hawks at Knicks – 7 ET, ESPN | Warriors at Rockets – 9:30 ET, TNT/Max)
Dec. 14: Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals in Las Vegas, NV (Atlanta vs Milwaukee – 4:30 p.m. ET, TNT/Max; Houston vs Oklahoma City – 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+)
Dec. 17: Emirates NBA Cup Championship in Las Vegas, NV (Milwaukee vs Oklahoma City – 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+)
Dec. 19-22: NBA G League Winter Showcase
Dec. 21: World Basketball Day
Dec. 25: Christmas Day (12 p.m. ET: Spurs at Knicks | 2:30 p.m. ET: Timberwolves at Mavericks | 5 p.m. ET: Sixers at Celtics | 8 p.m. ET: Lakers at Warriors | 10:30 p.m. ET: Nuggets at Suns) – All games on ABC/ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+
Dec. 27: NBA G League 34-game regular season begins
Jan. 5, 2025: 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10: All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Jan. 17: 3-for-1 All-Star Voting Day
Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (12 p.m. ET: Mavericks at Hornets, NBA TV; 2:30 p.m. ET: Timberwolves at Grizzlies, TNT; 5 p.m. ET: Celtics at Warriors, TNT)
Jan. 20: 3-for-1 All-Star Voting Day
Feb. 4: Castrol Rising Stars Draft (4 p.m. ET, @NBA, NBA App, NBA.com)
Feb. 6: NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)
Feb. 6: All-Star Draft (6:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Feb 14-16: NBA All-Star 2025 (San Francisco, CA)
Feb. 14-19: NBA All-Star break
March 1: Postseason Eligibility Waiver Deadline
March 10-15: NBA ID Member Days
March 29: NBA G League regular season ends
April 1: NBA G League Playoffs begins
April 11: All 30 teams to play
April 13: NBA Regular Season ends. All 30 teams to play. Seven Eastern Conference games to tip off at 1 p.m. ET. The one cross-conference and seven Western Conference games to tip-off at 3:30 p.m. ET
April 14: Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2025 (3 p.m. ET)
April 15-18: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
- Tuesday, April 15
  - Atlanta (East #8 seed) at Orlando (#7) – winner advances to East playoffs as No. 7 seed – 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT
  - Memphis (West #8 seed) at Golden State (#7) – winner advances to West playoffs as No. 7 seed – 10 p.m. ET, TNT
- Wednesday, April 16
  - Miami (East #10) at Chicago (#9) – loser is eliminated – 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
  - Dallas (West #10) at Sacramento (#9) – loser is eliminated – 10 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Friday, April 18
  - Miami at Atlanta (winner advances to playoffs as No. 8 seed) TNT
  - Dallas at Memphis (winner advances to playoffs as No. 8 seed) ESPN
April 19: NBA Playoffs 2025 begin
April 26: NBA Early Entry Deadline (11:59 p.m. ET)
May 5-6: Conference Semifinals begin (possible move up to May 3-4)
May 9-11: NBA G League Combine
May 11-18: NBA Draft Combine
May 12: NBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
May 14: Draft Combine scrimmages (ESPN2)
- Game 1: 2:15-4 p.m. ET (box score)
- Game 2: 4:15-6 p.m. ET (box score)
May 15: Draft Combine scrimmages (ESPN+)
- Game 1: 2:15-4 p.m. ET (box score)
- Game 2: 4:15-6 p.m. ET (box score)
May 20: Western Conference Finals – Game 1 – MIN at OKC on ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET
May 21: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 1 – IND at NYK on TNT, 8 p.m. ET
May 22: Western Conference Finals – Game 2 – MIN at OKC on ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET
May 23: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 2 – IND at NYK on TNT, 8 p.m. ET
May 24: Western Conference Finals – Game 3 – OKC at MIN on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
May 25: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 3 – NYK at IND on TNT, 8 p.m. ET
May 26: Western Conference Finals – Game 4 – OKC at MIN on ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET
May 27: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 4 – NYK at IND on TNT, 8 p.m. ET
May 28: Western Conference Finals – Game 5 – MIN at OKC on ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET
May 29: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 5 – IND at NYK on TNT, 8 p.m. ET
May 31: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 6 – NYK at IND on TNT, 8 p.m. ET
June 5: NBA Finals 2025 presented by YouTube TV – Game 1: IND at OKC on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
June 8: NBA Finals 2025 presented by YouTube TV – Game 2: IND at OKC on ABC, 8 p.m. ET
June 11: NBA Finals 2025 presented by YouTube TV – Game 3: OKC at IND on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
June 13: NBA Finals 2025 presented by YouTube TV – Game 4: OKC at IND on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
June 15: NBA Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline (5 p.m. ET)
June 16: NBA Finals 2025 presented by YouTube TV – Game 5: IND at OKC on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
June 19: NBA Finals 2025 presented by YouTube TV – Game 6: OKC at IND on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
June 22: NBA Finals 2025 presented by YouTube TV – Game 7: IND at OKC on ABC, 8 p.m. ET
Day After Last Game of NBA Finals (Monday, June 23): Each NBA team may begin negotiating with upcoming free agents who finished the just-completed season on its roster
June 25-26: 2025 NBA Draft (June 25: 8p ET – ABC, ESPN | June 26: 8p ET – ESPN)