2026 NBA Cup Schedule Matchups, Dates, TV Info Set for Group, Bracket Format

Ahead of the full 2026-27 schedule release, the matchups and dates for the NBA Cup have been announced.

The Cup schedule will tip off on Oct. 30 with the group stage taking place every Friday through Nov. 27, plus two designated Cup Nights on Nov. 24 and 25.

After group play wraps, the knockout stage will take place over the course of seven days starting with the quarterfinals on Dec. 4 and wrapping up with the championship game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Dec. 11.

Here are all of the key details for the 2026 NBA Cup, including the full group play schedule.

2026 NBA Cup Dates and TV Info

Group Play: Oct. 30, Nov. 6, Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 24, Nov. 25, Nov. 27

Quarterfinals: Dec. 4-5

Semifinals: Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9

Championship: Dec. 11

2026 NBA Cup Groups and National TV Schedule

East Group A: Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors

East Group B: Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers

East Group C: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards

West Group A: Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz

West Group B: Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder

West Group C: Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs

Prime Video will broadcast every game of the knockout round.

2026 NBA Cup Format

• Each conference is divided into three groups of five teams based on records from the 2025-26 season.
• Each team will play four designated Group Play games (two at home, two on the road).
• Three group winners from each conference and one "wild card" team (the best second-place team in each conference) will advance to the Knockout Rounds.
• Quarterfinal games and semifinal games will be played in NBA team markets. The championship game on Dec. 11 will be played in Indianapolis.
• All NBA Cup games aside from the championship will count toward the regular season standings.
• The Cup prize pool will be allocated to players on the teams that advance to the Knockout Rounds. Allocations will increase depending on how far a team progresses in the tournament.

This year marks the first significant change to the NBA Cup since its inception in 2023. The previous three years saw both the semifinals and championship game played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The NBA announced in September 2025 that starting with the 2026-27 season, only the championship game would be played at a neutral site. Semifinal games will be played at home arena of the higher-seeded team in each conference.

This will also be the first time Las Vegas has not hosted the championship game. The event is being moved to Hinkle Fieldhouse, home of the Butler Bulldogs basketball program.

Hinkle Fieldhouse is the sixth-oldest college basketball arena still in use having originally opened in 1928. NBA commissioner Adam Silver previously spoke about wanting to use "storied college arenas" for the NBA Cup final.

The New York Knicks are the defending NBA Cup champions, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in what turned out to be a preview of the 2026 Finals.

There has yet to be a repeat NBA Cup winner. The Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are the first three champions.