The 2026-27 NBA season tips off Tuesday, October 20, 2026 and runs all the way to a Finals in June 2027. This is your home for the whole season at a glance: every milestone from Opening Night to the Emirates NBA Cup, Christmas Day, All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, the trade deadline, and the playoff run. Save the printable one-pager, drop the key dates straight into your own calendar, and check back as the playoff schedule firms up.
2026-27 NBA key dates at a glance
Here is every confirmed milestone on the 2026-27 NBA calendar. Playoff round dates are set later in the season, and we will update them here the moment the league announces them.
| Milestone | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preseason opens | Sat, Oct 3, 2026 | First exhibition games |
| Opening Night | Tue, Oct 20, 2026 | Celtics-Pistons, 76ers-Knicks, Thunder-Spurs |
| NBA Cup group play | Oct 30 – Nov 29, 2026 | In-season tournament pool games |
| NBA Cup knockout | Begins Dec 4, 2026 | Single-elimination rounds |
| NBA Cup Championship | Fri, Dec 11, 2026 | Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25, 2026 | Five nationally televised games |
| Trade Deadline | Thu, Feb 11, 2027 | 3 p.m. ET cutoff |
| All-Star Weekend | Feb 19 – 21, 2027 | Phoenix; game on Sunday, Feb 21 |
| Regular Season Finale | Sun, Apr 11, 2027 | Final day of the 82-game slate |
| Play-In Tournament | Mid-April 2027 | Seeds 7-10 each conference (dates TBA) |
| Playoffs First Round | Late April 2027 | Best-of-seven series begin (dates TBA) |
| NBA Finals | June 2027 | Championship series (dates TBA) |
Opening Night and the early season
Preseason basketball returns Saturday, October 3, and the games that count begin Tuesday, October 20. The league opens with a marquee tripleheader: the Celtics visit the Pistons, the 76ers host the Knicks, and the Thunder take on the Spurs. From there teams settle into the grind of an 82-game schedule that stretches across six months.
The Emirates NBA Cup
The in-season tournament is now a fixture of the fall. Group play runs from October 30 through November 29, the knockout rounds begin December 4, and the championship game is set for Friday, December 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Cup games count toward the regular season standings, so every night matters.
Christmas Day, the trade deadline, and All-Star Weekend
The NBA’s signature regular-season showcase returns with five games on Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, for the 19th straight year. The trade deadline lands Thursday, February 11, 2027, and All-Star Weekend runs February 19 to 21 in Phoenix, with the All-Star Game on Sunday, February 21.
The stretch run and the playoffs
The regular season wraps up Sunday, April 11, 2027. The Play-In Tournament for seeds 7 through 10 in each conference follows in mid-April, the first round of the playoffs begins in late April, and the Finals are scheduled for June 2027. The league confirms exact playoff, conference finals, and Finals dates as the bracket takes shape, and we will keep this page current as they do.
Printable schedule, calendar view, and ICS download
Two ways to keep the season close at hand. The printable PDF is a clean one-page reference you can post on the fridge or pin at your desk. The ICS file imports every key date straight into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook, so Opening Night, the NBA Cup final, Christmas Day, the trade deadline, All-Star Sunday, and the regular season finale all show up on your own calendar automatically.
Following the college game too? Our College Basketball hub tracks schedules, brackets, and TV listings all season long.
Dates via NBA.com and NBC Sports. Playoff dates are announced later in the season and updated here.