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NBA 2026-27 : Teams, Players, Schedule, Standings, Salaries & How to Watch
The NBA is
heading into the 2026-27 season with a new champion, a new television
landscape, major stars, huge contracts and plenty of questions surrounding the
league.
The New York
Knicks enter the season as the defending NBA champions after defeating the San
Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals. Jalen Brunson finished that
championship run with a 45-point performance in Game 5 and was named Finals
MVP.
But the new
season is already about much more than the defending champions. Fans are
searching for NBA standings, schedules, players, salaries, games today, the NBA
Cup, streaming options and unusual questions about the league.
Here is a
practical guide to the NBA in 2026-27, including the information fans are most
likely to search for.
NBA 2026-27 season : What you need to know
The 2026-27 NBA
regular season begins on October 20, 2026, with a nationally televised
tripleheader.
The opening day
features:
- Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio
Spurs
The
Celtics-Pistons game tips off at 3 p.m. ET, followed by Philadelphia-New York
at 7 p.m. ET and Oklahoma City-San Antonio at 9 :30 p.m. ET.
The regular
season runs through April 11, 2027, with all 30 teams scheduled to play
on the final day. Each team will play 82 regular-season games.
That means there
will be 1,230 regular-season games before the NBA Playoffs begin.
For fans planning
their season, the biggest change is not only the schedule. The NBA is also
entering another season of expanded national streaming coverage, with games
distributed across ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, Prime Video, NBA TV and NBA League
Pass.
How many teams are in the NBA?
The NBA has 30
teams, divided equally between the Eastern Conference and Western
Conference.
Eastern
Conference
The Eastern
Conference contains 15 teams:
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Hornets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
- Chicago Bulls
Western
Conference
The Western
Conference also has 15 teams:
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Utah Jazz
The NBA organizes
those 30 teams into six divisions, three in each conference.
NBA standings: Who is expected to compete for the top?
NBA standings
change throughout the season, so there is no single permanent ranking before
the games are played.
The 2025-26
regular season ended with the Oklahoma City Thunder finishing first in the
Western Conference at 64-18, while the Detroit Pistons led the Eastern
Conference at 60-22.
However, the most
important result from last season came in the playoffs.
The New York
Knicks won the 2026 NBA championship, defeating San Antonio 4-1 in the Finals.
The Spurs had eliminated Oklahoma City in a seven-game Western Conference
Finals series before meeting New York.
For the 2026-27
season, fans will be watching several major questions:
Can New York
repeat?
The Knicks now
have the pressure that comes with being defending champions.
Can San Antonio
take the next step?
Victor Wembanyama
and the Spurs reached the NBA Finals in 2026 after beating the defending
champion Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
Can Oklahoma City
return to the Finals?
The Thunder
entered the 2026 playoffs as the Western Conference's No. 1 seed but were
eliminated by San Antonio.
Those three
storylines alone create several strong search topics throughout the season.
NBA players to watch in 2026-27
The NBA's biggest
attraction remains its players.
Jalen Brunson
enters the season as the reigning NBA Finals MVP after leading New York to its
first championship since 1973.
Victor Wembanyama
remains one of the league's most watched young stars after leading San Antonio
to the 2026 NBA Finals.
Other major names
that will drive NBA searches include:
- LeBron James
- Stephen Curry
- Nikola Jokic
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Luka Doncic
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Anthony Edwards
- Kevin Durant
- Devin Booker
- Jaylen Brown
- Jayson Tatum
- Donovan Mitchell
- Anthony Davis
- Cooper Flagg
For a general NBA
fan, the most useful way to follow players is not simply by looking at points
per game. Rebounds, assists, shooting efficiency, usage, defensive statistics
and team success all matter.
The NBA's
official statistics database provides player and team statistics, including
advanced metrics and game-by-game information.
NBA salaries: Why money is becoming one of the biggest NBA stories
NBA contracts are
now a major part of the league's appeal.
For the 2026-27
season, the NBA salary cap is $164.961 million, while the tax level is
$200.428 million. The first and second apron levels are $209.015 millions and
$221.686 millions respectively.
These numbers
matter because NBA teams cannot simply spend without limits.
The salary cap
affects:
- Free-agent signings
- Contract extensions
- Trades
- Luxury-tax payments
- Roster construction
- The ability to keep multiple stars
together
This is one
reason NBA contract stories can be just as interesting as games.
What NBA player gave up $100 million?
There are several
stories behind this question, but the most famous recent NBA example is Jalen
Brunson.
In 2024, Brunson
agreed to a four-year extension with the Knicks for about $156.6 million rather
than waiting another year for a potential contract worth more than $260
million.
The difference
was roughly $100 million or more depending on how the comparison is calculated.
Brunson
effectively chose a smaller deal in order to remain with New York and give the
organization more flexibility. The decision became one of the most talked-about
contract sacrifices in modern NBA basketball.
That decision
looks even more significant after Brunson led the Knicks to the 2026
championship and won Finals MVP.
Who dropped 83 points in the NBA?
Bam Adebayo
scored 83 points for the Miami Heat against the Washington Wizards on March 10,
2026.
It was the
second-highest scoring game in NBA history.
Adebayo finished
with 83 points in Miami's 150-129 victory. He shot 20-for-43 from the field,
made seven 3-pointers and went 36-for-43 from the free-throw line.
Only Wilt
Chamberlain's legendary 100-point game remains higher.
The 83-point
performance was especially surprising because Adebayo had previously been known
primarily for his defense, rebounding and all-around play rather than enormous
scoring totals.
The NBA now lists
11 players who have reached at least 70 points in a game, with Chamberlain
accounting for six of those performances.
Is there a 5'7" NBA player?
Yes.
One of the most
interesting current examples is Yuki Kawamura, who is listed by NBA.com
at 5-foot-7.
Kawamura is an
example of how unusual NBA height questions can attract significant attention
because basketball is traditionally associated with extremely tall athletes.
Historically,
however, the answer becomes even more surprising.
Spud Webb was
5-foot-7,
and he played 12 NBA seasons. He also won the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest despite
being dramatically shorter than most competitors.
The shortest
player ever to play in the NBA was Muggsy Bogues, listed at just
5-foot-3. NBA.com describes Bogues as the shortest player ever to play in the
league, and he spent 14 seasons in the NBA.
So if someone
asks, "Is there a 5'7 NBA player?" the answer is definitely yes. But
5'7 is still unusually short by NBA standards.
Why is the number 69 banned from the NBA?
This question
needs a careful answer because the word "banned" is misleading.
No NBA player has
ever worn No. 69 in a regular-season game, and the number became associated
with a famous Dennis Rodman story.
When Rodman
joined the Dallas Mavericks in 2000, he reportedly wanted to wear No. 69. The
league did not approve the number, and Rodman ultimately wore No. 70 instead.
The commonly
reported explanation is that the NBA considered 69 sexually suggestive and
inappropriate for the league's public image.
However, there is
an important distinction: the NBA has not publicly established a specific rule
saying "69 is banned because of its sexual meaning."
The official NBA
uniform rule requires players to have numbers on their jerseys, but the
commonly repeated "69 ban" story should therefore be treated as an
NBA tradition/story rather than a clearly written rule in the official
rulebook.
That distinction
matters because many websites simply state that "69 is banned" as an
absolute fact.
What is the NBA Cup?
The Emirates
NBA Cup is the league's annual in-season competition.
It was previously
known as the NBA In-Season Tournament.
The 2026 NBA Cup
begins with Group Play on October 30, 2026. The tournament includes all
30 NBA teams.
Group Play
features teams divided into groups, followed by knockout rounds.
The 2026 NBA Cup
Championship is scheduled for December 11, 2026, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in
Indianapolis.
The NBA Cup is
strategically important because it creates additional meaningful games early in
the regular season, when many NBA games traditionally have less playoff
urgency.
For fans, it also
creates another trophy to follow before the main NBA championship is decided.
How to watch NBA games in 2026-27
NBA fans in the
United States have more ways to watch games than in previous seasons.
National coverage
is distributed across several major platforms.
NBC and Peacock
NBC and Peacock
return as major NBA broadcasters, including the season-opening tripleheader.
NBC/Peacock will
carry 100 regular-season games during the 2026-27 season, along with major
events and playoff coverage.
Prime Video
Amazon Prime
Video is another major NBA destination.
Prime Video will
stream 66 regular-season games and will also carry the knockout rounds of the
Emirates NBA Cup.
ESPN and ABC
ESPN platforms
remain central to NBA coverage, including the NBA Finals on ABC.
NBA League Pass
League Pass
remains the main option for fans who want access to games outside their local
and nationally televised schedules.
Because broadcast
availability can vary by market, fans should check the official NBA schedule
before buying a subscription.
More American Sports Coverage
If you follow
major U.S. sports beyond basketball, you can also check our NFL 2026 guide, covering NFL teams, players, games, schedules, standings, and
the biggest storylines of the season.
When does the 2026-27 NBA season start ?
The regular
season starts on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
The opening
tripleheader is:
Celtics vs.
Pistons — 3:00 p.m. ET
76ers vs. Knicks
— 7:00 p.m. ET
Thunder vs. Spurs
— 9:30 p.m. ET
All three
opening-night games will be available through NBC/Peacock.
The Knicks game
will also be significant because New York will raise its championship banner
after winning the 2026 NBA title.
What NBA fans should watch this season
The 2026-27 NBA
season has several storylines worth following beyond the daily standings.
1. Can the Knicks
repeat?
New York enters
the season as defending champion.
2. What happens
to Wembanyama and the Spurs?
San Antonio
reached the Finals in 2026 and eliminated the defending champion Thunder.
3. Can Oklahoma
City return?
The Thunder had
the league's best record in the West before losing the conference finals.
4. How will the
new media landscape affect viewing?
NBA games are now
spread across ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, Prime Video, NBA TV and League Pass,
making the question of where to watch increasingly important.
5. Which young
stars become superstars?
The NBA's next
generation includes players such as Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards and
Cooper Flagg, while established stars remain at the center of the league.
NBA 2026-27: The quick answers
How many NBA
teams are there?
30 teams.
When does the
2026-27 NBA season start?
October 20, 2026.
Who won the 2026
NBA championship?
The New York Knicks.
Who was the 2026
NBA Finals MVP?
Jalen Brunson.
Who scored 83
points in an NBA game?
Bam Adebayo.
Who is the
shortest NBA player ever?
Muggsy Bogues, at 5-foot-3.
Is there a
5'7" NBA player?
Yes. Spud Webb was 5'7", and Yuki Kawamura is currently listed at
5'7".
What is the NBA
Cup?
The NBA's annual in-season competition, formerly called the NBA In-Season
Tournament.
What is the NBA
salary cap for 2026-27?
$164.961 million.
How many
regular-season games are there?
1,230 across the 30 teams.
Final takeaway
The NBA in
2026-27 is not just about checking scores.
For fans, the
season combines championship competition, player statistics, huge contracts,
streaming options, standings, young stars and unusual basketball stories.
The Knicks begin
the season as champions, but San Antonio, Oklahoma City and the rest of the
league will be chasing them.
And with the
regular season beginning October 20, the next NBA story could come from almost
anywhere — a historic scoring night, a blockbuster trade, a surprising rookie,
a record contract or another playoff race that changes the league.
For the most accurate game times, standings and player statistics, always check the latest information from NBA.com because schedules, standings and availability can change throughout the season.