2025–26 NBA season
The 2025–26 NBA season is the upcoming 80th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season is scheduled to begin in October 2025, and end in April 2026. The third edition of the in-season NBA Cup tournament is planned to be held in November and December 2025. The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is scheduled for February 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.[1] The play-in tournament is then scheduled to be played in April 2026 followed by the playoffs the next day, and conclude with the NBA Finals in June.
Transactions
Draft
The 2025 NBA draft is scheduled for June 25–26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.[2]
Coaching changes
| Team | 2024–25 season | 2025–26 season |
|---|---|---|
| Off-season | ||
| Denver Nuggets | David Adelman (interim) | |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Tuomas Iisalo (interim) | |
| Phoenix Suns | Mike Budenholzer | |
| Sacramento Kings | Doug Christie (interim) | |
Off-season
- On April 14, 2025, the Phoenix Suns fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after one season with the team.[3]
Preseason
In addition to regular preseason games hosted at NBA teams' own arenas, the NBA often hosts neutral site preseason games (either in domestic non-NBA markets or foreign markets) or against non-NBA teams. Listed below are only those neutral site or preseason games.
International games
| Date | Teams | Arena | Location | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 3 | New Orleans Pelicans vs. Melbourne United | Rod Laver Arena | Melbourne, Australia | [4] |
| October 5 | New Orleans Pelicans vs. South East Melbourne Phoenix | |||
| October 10 | Brooklyn Nets vs. Phoenix Suns | Venetian Arena | Macau, China | [5] |
| October 12 | Brooklyn Nets vs. Phoenix Suns |
Arena changes
- The Wells Fargo Center, the home of the Philadelphia 76ers, will be renamed prior to the season. Wells Fargo declined to renew its naming rights deal when it expires in August 2025.[6]
Media
National
This will be the first year of new 11-year deals with the ESPN family of networks, NBC Sports, and Amazon Prime Video. The ESPN networks renewed their contract with a modified schedule. NBC and Prime Video both replace TNT Sports, with NBC returning to televising the NBA since 2001–02, and Prime Video signing its first U.S. national contract with the league.[7][8]
Linear television
- ESPN continues to air Wednesday night games throughout the regular season, but the network's Friday schedule has been reduced to only selected weeks. NBA Saturday Primetime and NBA Sunday Showcase continue on ABC, with games on selected weeks between February and March. ABC/ESPN will also continue to have NBA Christmas games and the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.[8][9]
- NBC will carry Tuesday night doubleheaders, scheduled at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT, with NBC affiliates showing one or both games at their discretion. The network will also have a package of Sunday night games, carrying on from NBC Sunday Night Football after the NFL season. Games on opening night, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, as well as NBA All-Star Weekend (except for the Celebrity game) will also be on NBC.[8][10]
- It is unclear whether NBA TV will continue airing games at this time.
Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video will stream up to 66 regular season games, including Friday night games throughout the regular season, Thursday night games carrying on from Thursday Night Football after the NFL season, and select Saturday afternoon games. The streaming service will also have the entire knockout round of the NBA Cup.[8][11]
- ESPN+ will stream ABC's games and select ESPN games. Disney+ may also stream select ESPN-produced games.[9]
- Peacock will exclusively stream a package of Monday night games, as well as air both games of NBC's Tuesday night doubleheader and other select NBC games.[8][10]
- The league-owned NBA League Pass will continue to offer out-of-market games.
Personnel
- ESPN signed a sub-licensing agreement to air TNT Sports' Inside the NBA studio show on select days, with TNT continuing to produce the program. ESPN's existing studio show, NBA Countdown, will also continue to air.[12]
- NBC's new team includes play-by-play announcers Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle; color commentators Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford; and studio analysts Carmelo Anthony.[13]
- Amazon's new team includes play-by-play announcers Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan; and studio analysts Taylor Rooks, Dirk Nowitzki, and Blake Griffin.[13]
References
- ^ "Los Angeles and LA Clippers to host NBA All-Star 2026". NBA.com. January 16, 2024.
- ^ "NBA Draft 2025 to take place June 25–26 at Barclays Center". NBA.com. January 28, 2025.
- ^ "Phoenix Suns Relieve Mike Budenholzer Of Head Coaching Duties". NBA.com. April 14, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "New Orleans Pelicans to play two NBL teams in first NBA games in Australia this October". NBA.com. March 10, 2025.
- ^ "Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns to play two preseason games in Macao in October 2025". NBA.com. December 6, 2024.
- ^ "Wells Fargo to end naming rights deal with Sixers, Flyers arena". Associated Press. ESPN. July 24, 2024.
- ^ Lewis, Jon (July 24, 2024). "NBA announces rights deals with Disney, Comcast, Amazon". Sports Media Watch.
- ^ a b c d e "NBA signs new 11-year media agreements with the Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video through 2035-36 season". NBA.com. July 24, 2024.
- ^ a b "The Walt Disney Company and ESPN Reach Landmark 11-Year Media Rights Extension with the National Basketball Association and the Women's National Basketball Association". ESPN Press Room (Press release). July 24, 2024.
- ^ a b "THE NBA AND WNBA RETURN TO NBCUNIVERSAL WITH 11-YEAR AGREEMENT FOR REGULAR SEASON AND PLAYOFF BASKETBALL ON NBC, PEACOCK, USA NETWORK, SKY SPORTS, AND TELEMUNDO". NBC Sports (Press release). July 24, 2024.
- ^ "Amazon Prime Video and the NBA Announce Landmark 11-Year Global Media Rights Agreement Beginning in 2025". Amazon MGM Studios (Press release). July 24, 2024.
- ^ Marchand, Andrew; West, Jenna (November 17, 2024). "'Inside the NBA' to continue on ABC and ESPN as part of TNT-NBA settlement: Sources". The Athletic. The New York Times.
- ^ a b Kleen, Brendon (February 14, 2025). "A fan's guide to network NBA broadcasting rosters as TNT bids farewell". awfulannouncing.com.
