NBA
2026 NBA Cup Opens Friday With 10 Games and a New Championship Venue
Group play begins October 30, with the Knicks at Philadelphia and Lakers at Golden State on Prime Video before a December championship in Indianapolis.
The 2026 Emirates NBA Cup opens Friday, October 30, with ten group-play games and a new championship destination awaiting the eventual finalists. All 30 teams enter the fourth edition of the tournament, which ends December 11 in Indianapolis.
Charlotte visits Washington at 7 p.m. ET to start the opening slate. The defending champion New York Knicks visit Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. ET, while the Los Angeles Lakers play at Golden State at 10 p.m. ET. Both latter matchups stream on Prime Video.
Friday also includes Houston at Dallas, the Clippers at Minnesota and Denver at Phoenix. Detroit visits Brooklyn, Orlando travels to Toronto, Chicago plays Boston and Indiana visits Miami to complete the opening schedule.
Group results also count in the regular season
Teams are divided into six groups of five, with three groups in each conference. Each plays its four group opponents once, with two games at home and two away. Group winners advance alongside one wild-card team from each conference. The eight qualifiers then enter a single-elimination knockout bracket.
Group play continues on November 6, 13, 20, 24, 25 and 27. All tournament games count in regular-season standings except the championship, which is a separate game and does not contribute to official league statistics.
The title game moves to Hinkle Fieldhouse
The quarterfinals are scheduled for December 4–5, followed by semifinals December 8 and/or 9. Those rounds will be held in team markets, with higher seeds hosting, before the championship moves to Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler University’s home arena.
The move takes the final out of Las Vegas for the first time. Players on the winning team will receive $604,985 each, according to the Associated Press. Quarterfinalists, semifinalists and the runner-up also receive tournament prize payments.
The Knicks won last year’s Cup before defeating San Antonio again in the NBA Finals. The Lakers won the inaugural tournament in 2023, and Milwaukee followed in 2024.
