From the NBA Schedule Release to the recent reveal of NBA 2K27, it feels like weβre finally on the verge of hoops season once again. With training camps opening in about a month and the season following shortly after, itβs almost time to start getting answers to all of the questions that were raised during one of the most intriguing offseasons in recent memory.
Will LeBron JamesΒ and Jaylen Brown be enough to turn the Philadelphia 76ers into a true championship contender? Is the Minnesota Timberwolvesβ new dynamic duo of LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards enough to push them over the hump in the Western Conference? Will the New York Knicks become the first team to repeat as a champion on this side of the 2020s? Will the San Antonio Spurs recover from their NBA Finals dud, or will the Oklahoma City Thunder re-establish their historic dominance?
With so many things to be settled, thereβs going to be a lot of must-see games on the schedule. However, even the most passionate basketball fans typically have lives that keep them from watching every single marquee matchup. That being said, there are a handful of games on the schedule this season where itβs probably best to just clear the calendar and find a TV. Here are the top five, in chronological order.
Oct. 20: Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
When the opening night slate was revealed, everyoneβs eyes immediately went to LeBron James' and Jaylen Brown's 76ers debuts against the defending champion Knicks at Madison Square Garden. As quiet as it's kept, thatβs not even the matchup of the night. Once those festivities are wrapped up from Manhattan, NBC will spin the globe and bring us to San Antonio for a rematch of one of the most entertaining playoff series in recent history.
As excited as everyone was to see the big bad Thunder get taken out last season, the reality was that they were missing two of their three most reliable offensive players. With Jalen Williams back at full strength after an injury-riddled season and Ajay Mitchell back healthy after his premature postseason exit, the Thunder will almost certainly have something for this Spurs team that took them out in May.
Nov. 2: Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Clippers
The official ending to one of the most drawn-out sagas in modern sports history will likely occur the night of Nov. 2, as Kawhi Leonard is set to make his return to the Intuit Dome with the Toronto Raptors organization that he originally left to come to Los Angeles. Itβs going to be interesting to see how the Clippers fans react to Kawhiβs return considering all of the investigation drama and the general shortcomings of his time there.
Itβs hard not to sit and think about the what-ifs of Kawhi never leaving Toronto in the first place, considering how unsatisfying that era was in Los Angeles and what it led to for organizations like the Oklahoma City Thunder. Regardless, this Monday night matchup is surely going to be dramatic.Β
Dec. 11: NBA Cup Final at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Teams TBD
We donβt even have a semblance of an idea about who's competing in the NBA Cup Final this December, but Iβm just happy the NBA is seemingly taking a page out of the MLBβs book when it comes to hosting games in special, sentimental venues. There are few, if any, gyms in America that hold a candle to Indianapolisβ Hinkle Fieldhouse, home of the Butler Bulldogs and this yearβs edition of the Cup Final.
Hinkle Fieldhouse adds another chapter to its legacy π
Now, it's the home of the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup Championship π pic.twitter.com/a3H3vv2qb7
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) June 30, 2026
Beyond the fact that this game will be played on the literal set of Hoosiers, both the movie and real-life versions, the NBA Cup Final has been somewhat of a fortune teller in recent years. The Thunder appeared in the Cup Final in 2025 before going on to win their first NBA Finals trophy in 2024-25, and the Knicks doubled-up by winning the NBA Cup Final and NBA Finals in 2025-26. Itβs a pretty safe bet that weβre going to see two of the leagueβs elite teams reach this stage, and it will be surreal to see it go down at one of the gameβs meccas.
Christmas Day: Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers
You knew the NBA would save LeBronβs return to Los Angeles for a big day, and they ended up keeping it in the holster for the biggest. The league needed the most intriguing game possible to compete with the NFLβs Christmas Day blitz, and itβs safe to say that they found a pretty good candidate with this one.
I can already see the stacked celebrity row now, and the fact that LeBron is actually leaving a team that may actually be better without him for the first time only adds to the intrigue. When LeBron has previously left teams, they instantly descended several tiers. Itβs different this time around, as the Lakers have a legitimate chance to make waves in the Western Conference with stars Luka DonΔiΔΒ and Austin Reaves.
You know for certain that this is a game LeBron is going to be taking personally, and the fact that his own son will be in his former teamβs jersey makes it even more dramatic.Β
Feb. 27: Washington Wizards at Utah Jazz
This game may not be worth much at the moment it happens, but the first official NBA meeting between Washington Wizardsβ No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa and No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson of the Utah Jazz will be one of those moments we look back on in 20 years and remember fondly.
Throwback to AJ Dybantsa vs. Darryn Peterson in high school π
Darryn came out on top this matchup, dropping 58 points, while AJ poured in 49 in an unforgettable scoring duel π€― pic.twitter.com/UkNW9cLCRB
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 14, 2026
Let there be no mistake, thereβs no love lost for these guys after the years-long rivalry they had at the prep and collegiate levels, often being pitted against each other as direct competitors in every facet as two generational talents in the same class. Maybe this game wonβt be a perfect predictor of where their respective careers end up, but itβs still going to be a memorable first entry point for NBA fans who may not be familiar with their games and their stature as prospects.Β
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