NBA Announces Complete 2023-24 Preseason Schedule, Begins Oct. 5

The 2023-24 NBA season is right around the corner, and the league dropped its preseason schedule Wednesday.

The NBA preseason will open overseas on Oct. 5 with a matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The two teams will meet again in the United Arab Emirates on Oct. 7.

The NBA announced in May that the Mavericks and Timberwolves would play two preseason games in Abu Dhabi as part of a multiyear collaboration between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi.

During the 2022-23 preseason, the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks took part in the league's first games in the Persian Gulf.

In addition to playing in Abu Dhabi, the Mavericks will play a preseason game against reigning EuroLeague champion Real Madrid at the WiZink Center in Madrid, Spain, on Oct. 10.

It's a special matchup for Luka Dončić, who signed with Real Madrid when he was 13 before becoming the youngest-ever EuroLeague and EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2018 when he was just 19 years old.

Another highlight of the preseason schedule is a matchup between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers at Stan Sherriff Center in Honolulu, Hawai'i, on Oct. 8. The proceeds from the game will be donated to the Hawai'i Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund to benefit wildfire relief.

The Canadian cities of Montreal and Vancouver will also hold preseason matchups. The Toronto Raptors will meet the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 8 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and the Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 12 at Bell Centre in Montreal.

The Raptors have a natural connection to Vancouver, being located in Toronto, but the matchup between the Thunder and Pistons will feature one of the most prominent Canadian stars in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The 2023-24 regular season tips off on Oct. 24.