Breaking Down Top 10 NBA Games of the 2025-26 Schedule
NBA fans, start circling your calendars.
The league released the full regular-season slate for 2025-26. Action will get underway on Oct. 21, with the Oklahoma City Thunder getting their rings and raising their championship banner at Paycom Center.
The Thunder were the seventh different team in as many years to come out on top in the NBA Finals, a sign the league has achieved the parity it sought with the collective bargaining agreement.
Oklahoma City will be the clear title favorite for the upcoming campaign. Beyond that, it's a crap shoot with big questions surrounding plenty of contenders. That should help to generate a lot of interest in the regular season.
These are the matchups in no particular order that will carry some of the most intrigue.
San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks: Oct. 22 at 9:30 p.m. ET
1 of 10
Cooper Flagg just needs to become an All-NBA talent while filling the Luka Dončić-sized hole in the hearts of Dallas Mavericks fans. No pressure, man.
The lottery gods smiled down on the Mavs when they got the No. 1 overall pick despite their long odds (1.8 percent) going in. More than what Flagg brings on the court, his arrival has undone some of the damage created by the Dončić trade.
Some of the fans who swore off the Maverick for good came back because the organization suddenly has a new long-term vision again. ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported how corporate sponsors started stepping up to the plate, too, after the draft lottery concluded.
Flagg suited up in the Las Vegas Summer League, so we've gotten a brief look at him in a Dallas uniform. His full debut figures to be one of the most hyped games from the opening week.
Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder: Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET
2 of 10
You don't acquire a 36-year-old Kevin Durant if you don't believe you can win a championship.
The Houston Rockets aren't in title-or-bust territory because they still have a pretty young roster. By bringing in Durant, though, they certainly raised their expectations for 2025-26.
Look no further than the fact Houston became the second-favorite behind OKC in the eyes of oddsmakers shortly after the KD trade came together.
The season series between the Rockets and Thunder won't be a definitive indicator as to how a playoff rematch would unfold. But a lot of fans will be watching their encounters to see how much, if at all, Ime Udoka's squad has bridged the gap on the champs.
Utah Jazz at Philadelphia 76ers: March 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET
3 of 10
Maybe the Philadelphia 76ers would've taken Baylor' VJ Edgecombe anyway and maybe he winds up having a better NBA career than Ace Bailey.
Still, Philly was at least interested in the former Rutgers star enough to invite him in for a predraft workout, only for him to turn down the opportunity. Bailey and his reps placed their thumbs on the scale in what proved to be an unsuccessful effort to get him to a preferred destination.
Sixers fans are unlikely to forget all of that by the time Bailey makes his first trip to South Philly. He's bound to get a frosty reception.
Bailey and Edgecombe figure to be linked for a while as they start their pro careers, too. Should the former emerge as a perennial All-Star in Utah, a lot of people will wonder what might've been if he had been slotted alongside Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.
New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers: Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. ET
4 of 10
The Eastern Conference is wide open with the Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum and Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton recovering from major Achilles injuries.
For now, the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks project to be the two best teams in the East.
Cleveland had the best record in the conference (64-18), while New York advanced to the conference finals. Neither the Cavs nor the Knicks suffered a personnel loss that points to a clear decline, either.
Beyond potentially being a postseason preview, going on the road and playing the Cavaliers is an opportunity for New York to show it won't struggle against the East elite any longer with Mike Brown at the helm.
Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder: Feb. 27 at 9:30 p.m. ET
5 of 10
The Denver Nuggets know they're on the clock with three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, who declined to sign a three-year max extension with the team this summer.
That doesn't mean Jokić is already laying the groundwork for his exit because he can get more money if he waits to sign for the max next summer. Still, he can hit free agency as early as 2027 until the ink dries on a new deal.
Denver clearly sensed a need to improve the supporting cast when it traded Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson.
When they pushed the Thunder to seven games in the second round a season ago, maybe the Nuggets now have enough to climb to the top of the West again.
Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers: Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. ET
6 of 10
It says a little bit about NBA free agency now that Myles Turner signing with the Milwaukee Bucks qualified as one of the biggest blockbusters.
There are likely some fans in Indiana who were upset to see Turner bolt for a conference rival, but more may come to place the blame on the front office.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported in July the two-time block champion preferred to stick around, only to be unimpressed with the Pacers' offers. They never went above three years and $60 million, more than $40 million less than he got from Milwaukee.
Throw in the fact Turner was a regular source of trade rumors throughout his tenure there and revenge might be squarely on his mind during his first trip to Indianapolis.
Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves: March 25 at 9:30 p.m. ET
7 of 10
It's no secret the Minnesota Timberwolves tried to enter the sweepstakes for Durant and were basically rebuffed by the 15-time All-Star. They had also looked to land him ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.
Maybe Durant didn't like the climate in Minneapolis. Perhaps he thought Houston had a stronger supporting cast. Whatever the reason, the Wolves missed the chance to add a marquee star alongside Anthony Edwards.
In addition to showing KD he made the wrong call, the head-to-head battles with the Rockets will be a barometer for where Minnesota stands.
Re-signing Julius Randle and Naz Reid for $225 million combined was a big bet on the current roster. It will be a worrying sign if the Timberwolves look to be some distance behind Houston in the regular season.
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers: Oct. 21 at 10 p.m. ET
8 of 10
It feels like we might actually be inching toward LeBron James' retirement after a few years of him entertaining the idea and coming back for another season.
James' decision to opt in to his $52.6 million salary for 2025-26 certainly raised some eyebrows, especially with how that initially got framed. When he turns 41 in December and has seen his game incrementally decline, taking a one-year payout in lieu of opting out and signing for multiple years could be telling.
Should this prove to be LeBron's swan song, fans are running out of time to savor his longstanding rivalry with the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry. The two have defined their era more than any others, and each time they cross paths continues to be special.
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers: Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. ET
9 of 10
Pushing the Cavs to seven games in the first round of the 2024 playoffs was a sign the Orlando Magic were turning the corner from promising young team to one that can be a formidable contender.
Cleveland basically threw in the towel on the final day of the 2023-24 regular season in order to get what it thought to be a more favorable postseason draw. The gambit nearly backfired spectacularly in the face of the determined Magic.
Orlando had pretty much every key player miss time through injury last year, which resulted in a 41-41 record and a date with the battle-tested Celtics in the first round. That went about as expected with Boston winning in five games.
Now, the Magic are healthy and they made a major addition in Desmond Bane.
In the space of three years, the Thunder went from losing 42 games to winning 68 and outclassing the competition en route to a title. Maybe this is when Orlando truly makes its breakthrough, and the Cavs are as good a measuring stick as anybody else in the East.
Milwaukee Bucks at San Antonio Spurs: Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. ET
10 of 10
Any hopes the San Antonio Spurs had of taking a step forward in 2024-25 were dashed when Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in February. The French standout was limited to 46 games.
Compounding matters, San Antonio didn't get to enjoy midseason acquisition De'Aaron Fox much, either. The veteran point guard played in 17 games before having surgery on his pinky.
Aside from the retirement of legendary coach Gregg Popovich, the Spurs had a pretty understated offseason. Rookie guard Dylan Harper was their biggest addition and he may not help them that much in the short term, at least from a contending standpoint.
Sooner or later, San Antonio is going to make a big all-in trade, with one potential target standing head and shoulders above the rest.
For now, the idea of getting Giannis Antetokounmpo is purely a hypothetical, but San Antonio has the assets to make it happen and can make a compelling pitch to the two-time MVP. What better way to start than beating the Bucks head-to-head?
