NBA 2025-26 Regular Season Schedule Announcement
The NBA has announced the eagerly anticipated schedule for the 2025-26 regular season, revealing exciting matchups that include notable player returns within a single week in November.
Key Player Returns
During ESPN’s “NBA Today” broadcast, fans learned that Kevin Durant will make his first visit back to Phoenix as a member of the Houston Rockets on November 24. Shortly thereafter, on November 28, Anthony Davis is set to return to Los Angeles to face the Lakers in an NBA Cup group game, representing the Dallas Mavericks in his comeback.
Schedule Details
Currently, teams have clarity on 80 of their 82 games, with more details for the opening week, holiday matchups, and NBA Cup group games previously released. The schedule rollout also highlights the NBA’s new broadcasting collaborations with NBC/Comcast and Amazon, complementing its extensive 11-year deal alongside ESPN/ABC, which will hold the rights to the NBA Finals throughout the agreement.
Durant’s highly anticipated return to Phoenix, which dealt him to Houston in the previous June, will be available for viewing on NBC. Conversely, Davis’s matchup against the Lakers will be streamed on Amazon Prime, as he was involved in a shocking trade swap for Luka Doncic back in February.
Rivalry Renewed
The rivalry between the Mavericks and Lakers is set to rekindle in multiple encounters: they will also battle on January 24 in Dallas, February 12 in Los Angeles, and again on April 5 in Dallas. In a nod to the Doncic trade, the Lakers will revisit Madison Square Garden for a showdown against the Knicks one year later on February 1, airing on ABC.
Thunder’s Thrilling Schedule
The Oklahoma City Thunder, reigning champions, have a thrilling schedule ahead, with significant contests mainly in the latter part of the season. On the opening night, October 21, the Thunder will host Durant and the Rockets for the ring ceremony. They will also face Houston again on February 7 and will meet the Minnesota Timberwolves, their Western Conference Finals adversaries, on November 26 and again on March 15.
Star matchups take center stage as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the previous season’s MVP, is poised for four encounters with 2024 MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets from February onward, including games in Oklahoma City and Denver. Additionally, the Thunder will engage in a pair of April clashes against the Lakers, a potential setup for late-season MVP discussions. Furthermore, the Thunder will tackle Eastern Conference contenders Cleveland and New York in multiple matchups that could shape playoff standings.
Additional Highlight Returns
Additional highlight returns feature Myles Turner going back to Indiana on November 3 as a new member of the Milwaukee Bucks, while Brook Lopez of the LA Clippers will make a visit to his former team, the Bucks, on March 29. Following a mid-January blockbuster trade, Desmond Bane faces his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies, on January 18. The Boston Celtics will also celebrate the returns of former key players, with Jrue Holiday entering on January 26 and Kristaps Porzingis on January 28, amidst the busy mid-season period.
