MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 08: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts against the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter in Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on May 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026-27 NBA schedule is slowly leaking out before it is fully released on Thursday. So far, we know about the opening night triple-header, which includes the New York Knicks getting their championship rings in front of LeBron James in his Philadelphia 76ers debut, and also another San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder showdown. For as good as opening night is, the Christmas schedule is even better.
So many of the league’s biggest stars will be on display on Christmas day, from Victor Wembanyama to LeBron James to Giannis Antetokounmpo to Luka Doncic to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Anthony Edwards to Nikola Jokic to Stephen Curry. There’s five games on the Christmas slate, and not even the biggest NBA diehard can watch them all. We’re here to help.
Let’s rank every game on Christmas day from least-watchable to most-watchable. It’s never too early to start planning your holiday so you can fit in some basketball.
5. Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors at 10:30 p.m. ET
Curry and Jokic are always brilliant. So why is this game last? The late night start time is the first factor, because after a long day with family it might be hard to make it through this game for those on Eastern or Central time. There’s also the pesky fact that both of these franchises feel like they’re going in the wrong direction. I see the Warriors as a lottery team in our early power rankings, and they’re already talking about this season like a gap year. The Nuggets just got bounced in the first-round of the playoffs, and haven’t done anything to improve the team over the summer. I might look like a fool for this ranking when Curry and Jokic pop off, but for now I’m putting this as the skippable Christmas game.
4. Miami Heat at Boston Celtics at 2:30 p.m. ET
The Boston Celtics almost traded for Giannis this summer. The Miami Heat actually did. This is another chapter in the defining rivalry of the Eastern Conference in the 2020s with both franchises still in the early stages of retooling after some big offseason moves. The best thing about Heat-Celtics is that each team has an entrenched identity. Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics are the ultimate math-ball team, and will be bombing away from three. Erik Spoelstra’s Miami squad is defined by Heat Culture, with toughness and defense taking centerstage. This should be a good contrast of styles in the early afternoon session.
3. Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers at 5 p.m.
LeBron goes back to LA for Christmas to see family and play his former team, the Lakers. This game should feature tons of offense, with James, Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and maybe Joel Embiid running up the score as Luka and Austin Reaves try to keep pace. New Lakers center Walker Kessler is going to be fighting for his life to try to keep Philly away from the rim, but that’s where Maxey’s movement shooting can get you. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Luka pick apart what should be a spotty Philly defense, especially if Embiid is out. This one should have plenty of fireworks.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves at 8 p.m.
The Wolves traded for LaMelo Ball over the offseason, in the process making a bold bet that the best way to try to take down the Thunder and Spurs is with high-volume pull-up three-point shooting. Ball and Anthony Edwards are among the best off-the-dribble shooters from deep in the league, and it will be fascinating to see them try to solve the might OKC defense with tough shot-making. I’m also interested in seeing how Chet Holmgren responds in a spotlight game. He has been excellent when he’s not playing Victor Wembanyama, but it feels like he needs to re-establish himself as an elite player this season after such a terrible performance in the Western Conference Finals. This is also a big opportunity for the Thunder youngsters like Bennett Stirtz, Nikola Topic, and Aday Mara in a national TV game against an elite opponent. I predict we see this series in the playoffs, and not in the first round.
1. San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks at noon
The Knicks always seem to have the noon game on Christmas, and this year it’s an NBA Finals rematch. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs head back to Madison Square Garden to try to avenge their frustrating Finals loss from last season, and both rosters mostly remain intact. All eyes will be on Wemby as he tries to take over in the Garden, but it sure feels like the Knicks unlocked something special last season that could sustain into this year. The Finals might have ended in five games, but that was some of the best basketball we’ve witnessed since LeBron led the 3-1 comeback over the Warriors in 2016. I can’t wait to see the next chapter.
DALLAS, TX - MAY 26: Anthony Edwards #5, Kyle Anderson, and Mike Conley #10 of the Minnesota Timberwolves talk to the media after the game against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on May 26, 2024 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Timberwolves fans and fans across the country.
As the Minnesota Timberwolves are across the Atlantic enjoying team bonding time in France, it feels good to see that somebod(ies) is taking a leadership role this offseason.
However, once the season begins, will there still be the calming voice to help guide the ship? Who’s going to break the huddles in Mike Conley’s absence? Who’s going to make wisecracks from down the tunnel without Joe Ingles? Who will test Rudy Gobert’s boxing skills in a timeout now that Kyle Anderson is gone? All important questions.
With a couple empty roster spots available, would it be wise to use those on more depth pieces, or find a wily Master Splinter to sit on the bench all year?
DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 18: Cade Cunningham #2 and Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons look on during the game against the Phoenix Suns on January 18, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
NBA scheduling details are starting to trickle out, and it looks like the Detroit Pistons will be kicking off the season in a big way — by playing in the first game of the season league-wide as part of an opening night triple-header.
Detroit is set to face off against the Boston Celtics in an Eastern Conference showdown at 3 p.m. on Oct. 20 in a nationally televised game on NBC. Set your work schedules accordingly.
That will be followed up by two primetime games — the Philadelphia 76ers vs. the New York Knicks, aka LeBron, Jaylen Brown, and the new-look Sixers against the reigning NBA champions. Finally, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will face off to try and set the standard of who will rule the Western Conference.
The Pistons starting the season is quite the glow-up after having the NBA’s worst record just one year ago. Detroit is coming off of a 60-win season and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Cade Cunningham will get an opportunity to show a huge NBA audience thirsty for real basketball that he’s one of the 5-10 best players in the league, and that his team has no intention of taking a step back.
That might be news to many NBA watchers, as Detroit’s offseason has not been looked upon fondly while other teams in the East like the Sixers, Heat, Raptors, Hawks, and Celtics are making major moves, and the Knicks, Cavs, Magic, and Hornets are looking to build on last season’s varying levels of success.
But what will hopefully be readily apparent to everyone involved is that surrounding a great player with shooting makes him even better. As good as the Pistons were last season, they didn’t quite have that. They had Duncan Robinson, one of the league’s best marksmen, and he returns. But they’ve doubled down on that with the addition of Isaiah Joe, who isn’t far behind Robinson in skill level. They’ve also added John Collins, who can attack the rim and nail shots from the perimeter at a high level.
It will also be a chance for Ausar Thompson to take his next step toward being a star player, which is the trajectory I think he is destined for. Already probably the league’s best perimeter defender, he isn’t near his ceiling, and he continues to put in the work to try and to turn his offensive repertoire into something that consistently helps his team.
Will Jalen Duren be back? Likely. Catching lobs, slamming putbacks, and having a sneaky level of finesse and footwork to dominate down low. It’s the ingredients for a fun basketball team. The ingredients for a winning basketball team. And I’m glad the NBA will get to see it right off the bat.
The Lakers will see a familiar face for its annual Christmas Day game this season.
LeBron James, who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers last month, will be making his return to Los Angeles on Dec. 25 when the Lakers host Philadelphia at Crypto.com Arena, the NBA revealed Tuesday morning in what it called a “sneak peek” of the 2026-27 schedule. The game is scheduled to tip off at 2 p.m. on ESPN and ABC.
The full schedule will be revealed Thursday.
The league also unveiled its opening week slate, with the Lakers set to open the season by hosting the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21 in a game scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN.
James, entering an unprecedented 24th season in the NBA, will also figure prominently in the opening week broadcast schedule as the 76ers will take on the New York Knicks on Oct. 20 at Madison Square Garden on NBC and Peacock. The game will be James’ first with his new team and will feature the Knicks raising a banner to mark their first NBA championship since 1973.
Two days later, the 76ers will play their home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that drafted James in 2003, in game that will be broadcast on ESPN.
James’ new team was always going to have a prominent place on the schedule, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver even said last month that he wanted league’s career scoring leader to announce his decision because teams and networks were calling to ask when the schedule would be completed.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 24: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs look on during Game Four of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 24, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA has begun releasing the 2026-2027 schedule, beginning with the opening week and Christmas match-ups today. They’re wasting no time in getting the Spurs back against their opponents of the final two rounds of the playoffs, beginning with a Western Conference Finals rematch against Oklahoma City Thunder at home on opening night. Tip-off will be at 8:30 CT on NBC and Peacock.
It will follow the Knicks raising the banner and hosting the new-look 76ers (rumor has it the NBA was pushing LeBron James to make his Decision 4.0 so they could get on with this, so he purposefully delayed his announcement to join the 76ers by a week to spite them), although for some reason the true season opener is between Celtics and Pistons four hours earlier at 2:00 PM CT. (Won’t everyone be at work?)
A CAN'T-MISS TRIPLEHEADER TO OPEN THE SEASON.
🍿 Jayson Tatum, Paul George and the Celtics visit Cade Cunningham and last year's top-seeded Pistons
🍿 LeBron James and Jaylen Brown make Sixers debuts vs. Jalen Brunson and the Knicks on their championship banner raising night at… pic.twitter.com/jazcOOP8PB
If you’re like me and are still recovering from all the 8:30 (closer to 9) tipoff times from the playoffs, too bad! Because the Spurs will get another one three days later, as they will host the Houston Rockets in that timeslot on October 23, which will be streamed on Prime. (At least it’s on a Friday!) This will also be one of their four home games in the Moody Center in Austin and will be a homecoming of sorts for Kevin Durant, who went to the University of Texas for his lone college season. (To be honest, I’m not a fan of taking a rivalry game out of San Antonio, but maybe that’s just me.)
While we can finally say “at least the Spurs aren’t opening against the Mavs for the fourth year in a row,” one game that does feel a bit repetitive is Christmas in Madison Square Garden. And not just because the Spurs got more than enough of the Knicks in the Finals (which will add another level to this game), but it’s also a repeat of two years ago, when Victor Wembanyama made his Christmas debut in MSG. Despite him putting on a show with 42 points and 18 rebounds, the Spurs came up just short after blowing a late lead. (Sound familiar?) Tip-off will be at 11 AM CT on ABC and ESPN.
Which NBA Christmas matchup are you most hyped for?🎄
🎁 Spurs-Knicks at 12 PM ET 🎁 Heat-Celtics at 2:30 PM ET 🎁 76ers-Lakers at 5 PM ET 🎁 Thunder-Timberwolves at 8 PM ET 🎁 Nuggets-Warriors at 10:30 PM ET pic.twitter.com/9uwr849kYf
It will be followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat at Celtics, LeBron’s return to LA with the 76ers at Lakers, Thunder at Timberwolves, who surprisingly traded for LaMelo Ball, and what very well may be the bummer match-up of the day between two aging teams who did nothing to get better over the offseason with the Nuggets visiting the Warriors.
The NBA Cup groups and tournament schedules will be released tomorrow, and the complete regular season schedule for all 30 teams will be released on Thursday at 2:00 CT time. (If you feel the need to watch it, it will be on ESPN 2.) What do you think about these big-day match-ups, Pounders?
In what will come as a surprise to no one, the Knicks will host LeBron James and the new-look 76ers to open the 2026-27 NBA season on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.
Before the game against Philadelphia, the Knicks will raise their 2025-26 NBA championship banner to the rafters at Madison Square Garden.
Beyond signing James this offseason, the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown. Their starting lineup now features James, Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and V.J. Edgecombe.
It was also revealed on Tuesday that the Knicks will host the Spurs on Christmas Day in an NBA Finals rematch, in a game that will tip off at 12 p.m.
As the Knicks look to repeat as champions, they will return the same starting lineup that toppled San Antonio in the Finals -- Jalen Brunson,Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges.
The ultimate present for NBA fans will feature a host of the league's marquee teams. The matchups, announced on Tuesday, Aug. 11, are highlighted by LeBron James making his return to Los Angeles to face his former team, the Lakers.
🎁 Wemby, Spurs visit Brunson and the defending champion Knicks in a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals 🎁 Tatum, Celtics host Giannis and the Heat in Beantown 🎁 LeBron returns to LA to face Luka and the Lakers 🎁 Shai and Ant go… pic.twitter.com/njuWV146ym
They’ll host the Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 21 in both team’s season opener as part of ESPN’s opening-week doubleheader on the second day of the regular season.
The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. PT tipoff.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers is double-teamed by Gary Payton II and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Feb. 28, 2026. Getty Images
The matchup will also mark the first time since the 2018-19 season, James’ first season with the franchise, that the Lakers weren’t featured on the league’s Opening Night.
Celtics at Pistons, 76ers at Knicks and Thunder at Spurs are scheduled for Oct. 20 as part of a NBC/Peacock Opening Night triple-header.
Lakers-Warriors will be proceeded by Timberwolves at Heat in the team debuts for LaMelo Ball (Minnesota) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami) to kick off the ESPN doubleheader.
This season will mark the second straight season and the fourth time in the last six years the Lakers and Warriors played each other for their season openers.
The Warriors won each of the previous three season-opening matchups.
This will mark the seventh time in eight seasons the Lakers will play their first game of the season in California, with their Opening Night matchup against the Nuggets in 2023 being the lone exception.
The league will release the NBA Cup Group Play schedule on Wednesday before announcing the entire schedule at noon on Thursday.
DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 26: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on February 26, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Celtics will tip off the 2026-2027 NBA season on the road against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, October 20th at 3pm ET, the NBA has announced.
It’s the first in a three-game slate, followed by games at the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the New York Knicks at 7pm ET and the Oklahoma City Thunder visiting the San Antonio Spurs at 9:30pm ET. That means Boston will take part in the first official game of the regular season.
The Celtics will then host the Knicks on Friday, October 23rd at 7pm ET for their home opener.
The first four days of the 2026-27 NBA regular season will feature nine national games across NBC/Peacock, ESPN and Prime Video.
The Celtics will host the Miami Heat on Christmas Day
The NBA also announced the league’s Christmas Day schedule, and the Celtics will host the new-look Miami Heat in the second game of the day, at 2:30pm ET. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, and the rest of the squad will face Jayson Tatum and the Celtics at TD Garden.
The rest of the slate includes San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks at 12pm ET, Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers at 5pm ET, Oklahoma City Thunder @ Minnesota Timberwolves at 8pm ET, and Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors at 10:30pm ET.
The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25) for the 19th consecutive year, with ABC and ESPN both televising each matchup.
Highlights include the first meeting between the Knicks and Spurs since the 2026 NBA Finals, as well as new 76er LeBron James’ return… pic.twitter.com/CgWdaaFJXN
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 13: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs plays defense on Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The two biggest regular season games of the defending champion New York Knicks’ schedule have been released, as the NBA revealed Tuesday morning on Good Morning America that the Knicks would open their season by raising the banner on October 20th against the Philadelphia 76ers before squaring off with the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Finals rematch at MSG on Christmas Day.
The Ring Night matchup against the Sixers was not something that many saw coming after the season concluded, but Philly’s two blockbuster moves to acquire Jaylen Brown and LeBron James moved them to the front of the line to open their season at the World’s Most Famous Arena with their new-look roster.
Weirdly, they will not be the first game of the NBA season, as the league decided to put Pistons-Celtics at 3pm on a Tuesday for some reason, marking the first time since 2022-23 the defending champions weren’t playing the first game of the league calendar.
As for Christmas, it’s the juiciest possible matchup between the two teams with probably the best inter-conference rivalry in basketball (Celtics-Lakers hasn’t had that feel in a while). Classic matchups the last three years that included Brunson’s 60-point game, Wembanyama’s 40-20, a Christmas 2024 clash, Champagnie’s barrage of threes on NYE 2025, the 2025 NBA Cup Final, and of course, the 2026 NBA Finals, the most viewed finals since Michael Jordan still roamed.
It’s the sixth consecutive year the Knicks will be playing at Madison Square Garden on Christmas, expanding their lead on all-time appearances to 59. It’s the 11th consecutive time they’ll be playing at MSG, dating back to a clash at Staples Center with the Lakers in 2012-13. Before that, the last time the Knicks spent Christmas on the road was 1999 against Indiana. It will also likely be the 10th consecutive noon appearance for the Knicks, because let’s be real.
It’s also a return of something that a lot of fans clamor for every year. It’s the first time since 2018 that Christmas features an NBA Finals rematch, something not seen since the Cavs and Warriors did it three straight years. The lack of true juice in the Finals can contribute to that feeling, but we definitely have a rivalry here to sink our teeth into.
The other matchups on these two nights include the Western Conference champion Spurs hosting the 2025 NBA champion OKC Thunder on Opening Night. On Christmas, it’s Giannis and the Heat heading to Boston to face Jayson Tatum and the Celtics, LeBron returning to Los Angeles to play his former team, the Thunder visiting Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, and Nikola Jokic squaring off with Steph Curry in the Bay Area.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 10: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks plays defense during the game against Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With Jaylen Brown and LeBron James joining a talented Philadelphia 76ers core that now has legitimate championship aspirations, attention around this Sixers season is going to be ratcheted up to the maximum. We already heard they’ll be slated for the maximum allotted nationally televised games during the upcoming 2026-27 regular season. Tuesday morning, we received news of a few of those high-profile events.
The NBA’s Christmas Day schedule is headlined by LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers visiting Los Angeles to face the Luka Dončić-led Lakers and a Spurs-at-Knicks NBA Finals rematch.
The Sixers will open the season on Tuesday, October 20 at Madison Square Garden against the defending champion New York Knicks. While I don’t relish the idea of seeing a banner-raising ceremony in front of a cheering arena of Knicks fans, a Sixers win to kick off this new era would provide a small measure of consolation. Some are calling this one the Ariel Hukporti revenge game.
Philadelphia’s home opener will be on Thursday, October 22 at 7:00 pm ET against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Jaylen Brown and LeBron James taking the court in Philadelphia for the first time as Sixers (not counting possible preseason appearances), those tickets are sure to be sold out and highly sought after on the secondary markets. James Harden in the building should provide some interesting Sliding Doors-like thoughts to run through our heads.
Later, the Sixers will make their return to Christmas Day action as they head west to take on the Lakers in Los Angeles. It will be LeBron’s first time playing against the Lakers since the 2017-18 season during his second stint with the Cavaliers. I would imagine this game will be at or near the beginning of Philadelphia’s annual Disney on Ice road trip. Seeing the Sixers square up against Luka Doncic should be one fun final present to unwrap that day.
The only surprise is not seeing the Sixers up against the Boston Celtics in one of these slates for the Jaylen Brown return narrative. Regardless, I’m sure the league will have at least a couple juicy viewing windows across the four meetings between the clubs this season, and these already announced games have plenty of fun star power and storylines. Basketball is nearly back!
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers in action during a game against the New York Knicks on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Getty Images North America)
The Lakers will face off against a familiar face for their Christmas Day matchup.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers in action during a game against the New York Knicks on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Getty Images
It’ll be James’ lone visit to Crypto.com Arena as an opposing player during the 2026-27 season after spending eight seasons with the franchise.
The matchup will tip off at 2 p.m. PT, with ABC (Ch. 7) and ESPN televising every Christmas Day game.
The Lakers have played on Christmas every year since 1999, and have played the second-most games on the holiday (52) behind the Knicks (58).
James (20) has appeared in the most Christmas Day games. The league’s all-time leading scorer has also scored the most points on Christmas.
The NBA announced the league’s Christmas Day slate as part of a release of marquee games.
The five-game Christmas schedule will also feature the Spurs-Knicks NBA Finals rematch at Madison Square Garden, the Celtics hosting Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat, the Timberwolves hosting the Thunder and the Warriors hosting the Nuggets.
The league will release the NBA Cup Group Play schedule on Wednesday before announcing the entire schedule at noon on Thursday.
Knicks celebrate championship win over Spurs on June 13, 2026.
The Knicks are firmly the main attraction.
The NBA placed its defending champions front and center, as the Knicks will be showcased on both opening night and Christmas Day.
They will face off with LeBron James and the 76ers on Opening Night at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 20, where they will raise their championship banner and collect their rings in front of the King and his new team. It will be LeBron and Jaylen Brown’s debuts with Philadelphia after the team’s blockbuster moves this offseason.
LeBron James signed with the 76ers this offseason. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It will be the first time the Knicks raise a championship banner since 1973 – their last title.
The game – at 7 p.m. ET on NBC – will be the second of a triple-header slate on the network, sandwiched between a Celtics-Pistons matchup and Thunder-Spurs showdown.
Knicks celebrate championship win over Spurs on June 13, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
On Christmas Day, the Knicks will host Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs at MSG in a Finals rematch – the first meeting between the two teams since Game 5, when the Knicks secured the championship.
The two teams similarly played each other on Christmas Day two years ago in 2024, providing an exhilarating preview of what they would deliver a year later. Mikal Bridges memorably erupted for 41 points in a 117-114 Knicks win. Wemby put on a show with 42 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks for the Spurs.
This year’s matchup will kick off the league’s Christmas Day slate, at noon on ABC/ESPN. Later in the day, LeBron will return to Los Angeles as the 76ers square off with the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Heat-Celtics, Thunder-Timberwolves and Thunder-Warriors are the other Christmas Day matchups.
And the Knicks will travel to Boston to play the Celtics as part of Amazon Prime’s first Friday night doubleheader on Oct. 23 – at 7 p.m. ET. before Rockets-Spurs later in the night.
It will be the second nationally televised game the Knicks play in the first week of the season and the first time they will play against Mitchell Robinson, who signed with the Celtics this offseason after eight years in New York.
The Knicks have a long history of playing on Christmas, with more games (58), wins (26) and losses (32) than any other team. Last year, they delivered another memorable win – overcoming a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit (a taste of what would come later in the postseason) to come back and beat the Cavs 126-124 at MSG. Jalen Brunson poured in 34 points while Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson had huge games off the bench.
It was a role reversal the last time the Knicks played on the league’s Opening Night two years ago – against the Celtics at TD Garden for Boston’s banner and ring night after their 2024 title. The Knicks were blown out 132-109.
This time, though, it will be their coronation in front of a national audience. Their banner entering immortality. Their rings sliding onto their fingers.
The New York Knicks will begin their defense of their NBA Championship when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers to open the 2026-27 season on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at Madison Square Garden.
The day begins with the Boston Celtics visiting the Detroit Pistons, tipping off at 3 p.m. ET. Both teams suffered epic flameouts in the playoffs last season. Boston lost in seven games in the first round to the 76ers, and Detroit, as the East's No. 1 seed, also lost in seven games but in the second round to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks will hold their championship banner ceremony before tipping off their title defense against the Sixers and new addition LeBron James at 7 p.m. ET. The nightcap will pit the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Spurs in San Antonio.
New York expects to bring back its starting five of Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl Anthony Towns for a chance at back-to-back championships. There have been eight different NBA champions in the last eight seasons, with the Golden State Warriors being the last to repeat in 2017 and 2018.
Philadelphia, which hasn't won an NBA title since 1983, brings star power that could challenge the Knicks in the Eastern Conference with the acquisition of Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics and the signing of James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, who will turn 42 in December. Tyrese Maxey, who averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists last season, and oft-injured former MVP Joel Embiid provide the 76ers with a top-heavy roster that hopes to compete for a title.
A CAN'T-MISS TRIPLEHEADER TO OPEN THE SEASON.
🍿 Jayson Tatum, Paul George and the Celtics visit Cade Cunningham and last year's top-seeded Pistons
🍿 LeBron James and Jaylen Brown make Sixers debuts vs. Jalen Brunson and the Knicks on their championship banner raising night at… pic.twitter.com/jazcOOP8PB
When the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard in 2023 at 33 years old, they probably figured they would get three, maybe four years of high-level play from him, and with him and Giannis, could credibly field a contending team during that time. But then in Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, everything changed. After valiantly figthing to return from deep vein thrombosis in his calf that had sidelined him for the back-third of the season, Lillard tore his Achilles in devastating fashion.
Almost instantly, plans were thrown into a tailspin, and a pivotal decision faced the franchise. It had not been long enough since the acquisition of Lillard for the team to have replenished enough future draft picks to use in another all-in trade, and it wasn’t as if Lillard was an expiring contract either, ruling free agency out. In short, the Bucks were stuck. This triggered rampant speculation about Giannis’ future in Milwaukee, because common sense indicated that after Lillard’s injury, he could no longer contend there. Just about everyone, including me, assumed that Giannis would request a trade.
But, he never did (not forcefully, at least).
Therefore, Jon Horst refused to entertain a deal from the Bucks’ end either, instead reverting to the long-engrained muscle memory he’d developed during the Antetokounmpo era: build around the two-time MVP to the best of your ability.
But as I mentioned, this time was different. This time Horst didn’t have the assets or flexibility to know that, if spent correctly, he could make the team a contender. No, this time he needed to scrounge for spare change in between the couch cushions—and even work outside the rules, allegedly—just to give the team a puncher’s chance. At which point, you surely have to ask yourself, “is this really worth it?” I certainly didn’t think it was, as I weighed the potential upside against the potential downside.
In this two-part series, I’ll be making the case that Horst messed up by not trading Giannis after the 2024-25 season. More or less, my entire argument can be boiled down to a belief that the core job of a general manager is to maximise assets (and not to sound crass, but at the most basic level, that’s what players are: assets). GMs need to evaluate, based on a variety of factors, whether a player is maximised as A. part of their team, or B. as a trade asset. We see it all the time, and it is borne out in many different ways.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 29: General manager Will Dawkins of the Washington Wizards addresses the media as the Washington Wizards introduce their 2024 draft picks at Union Station on June 29, 2024 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For example, the Wizards—as a team whose top priority is peaking 2-4 years from now—would probably not entertain trading Kyshawn George. However, Kyle Kuzma—despite being Washington’s best player when he was there—was best maximised as a trade chip because he did not fit their timeline, which, as I mentioned, was the number one factor driving Washington’s decision-making. Different teams have different priorities, and these priorities explain why they value certain assets differently. The Thunder would not entertain trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at any point in the near future because their top priority is winning right now, and, crucially, that is a very realistic expectation for them to have.
Last summer, due to unforeseen circumstances (and some very foreseen ones), Giannis tipped over into being best maximised as a trade chip for the first time ever, and that looked unlikely to change down the road. Sorry, but that is just the cold, hard reality. We all love the big fella, and in an ideal world, he’d have been a Buck for life, but there’s a reason—many reasons, actually—that we rarely see one-team players anymore, no matter how legendary. Contracts exist. Title windows exist. Aprons exist. Generally, elite players cannot spend most of their career contending on the same team, and, well, elite players want to contend!
Unfortunately, this is just how the NBA goes. You can choose to get ahead of it or let it smack you in the face.
Anyway, before I go any further, the one point I want to stress is that this is not intended to be some “anti-Giannis article.” I’ll always appreciate what Giannis gave to the Bucks, but I’m also deeply invested in how the team looks long after he’s gone. This article is about strategy—nothing more, nothing less. If you come at it more from a sentimental point of view, or were simply in the “do everything to try to keep Giannis, and if it doesn’t work, at least we tried” camp, you’ll get zero pushback from me. I personally happen to view things almost exclusively through an asset-maximisation lens. Maybe that’s because I’m not from Milwaukee. Maybe I’m just soulless!? Is that it? Probably. In any event, respectful difference of opinion is what makes Brew Hoop great.
The 2025 offseason: A redux
So, Giannis didn’t request a trade, shocking the basketball world—let’s go from there. The question you start with is why didn’t he ask out? Did GA actually think the roster Horst had assembled could contend? No, he did not. ESPN’s Shams Charania’s reporting from later that offseason indicated that Giannis was by no means oblivious to the state of the team. It almost sounds like he just didn’t have it in him to ask out at that point in time after Horst had jumped through hoops to reconfigure the team on the fly.
Frankly, fair enough. Giannis had—has—a different type of relationship with Milwaukee. He grew up there. He was beloved. It was his home. His city. His state. But reportedly, Giannis was having these conversations about his future; they were just happening with his agent instead of Horst.
“Ever since the NBA draft combine in mid-May, Alex Saratsis, Antetokounmpo’s US-based representative, has fielded rampant interest in Antetokounmpo and conducted serious due diligence on best possible outside fits should the star and his reps push to be traded from the Bucks.”
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 17: (L-R) Nick Monroe, Giannis Antetokounmpo, George Panou, and Alex Saratsis attends "Giannis: The Marvelous Journey" World Premiere on February 17, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Prime Video) | Getty Images for Prime Video
Now, whether Horst agreed with the seemingly obvious fact that the team had no shot of contending—shockingly, ESPN’s reporting states that he did not—there was clearly no way that he’d be the one to initiate a Giannis trade; the big fella had to do that.
I hate to say it, but if Giannis wasn’t going to blink, Horst absolutely should have.
Horst is paid the big bucks (pardon the pun) to weigh risk vs. reward and make informed, responsible decisions that are in the best interests of the franchise—both in the short and long term. To me, he did not weigh both of those equally. He prioritised the short term and made a high-risk decision with pretty minimal upside—even if everything went perfectly—instead of opting for the low-risk option with enormous upside.
Maybe this is a spicy take, but I reckon Horst should have approached Giannis and said, “look, as hard as it is to accept, we both know this is over. I’m going to send you somewhere you can compete while compensating Milwaukee in droves; everybody wins.” Based on reporting from the past 12 months, I’m quite confident that Giannis would have secretly been relieved if that had happened. But Horst didn’t do that, and entered the summer going all-out to build around GA, once again. Assets be damned.
The Giannis-and-friends Bucks
By the end of the summer, the team consisted of one superstar and a bunch of role players. “Giannis and friends,” as I liked to call it. Any rational person could tell that this team was never going to be in the title picture. Well, if Shams Charania is to be believed, Horst isn’t all that rational.
According to Charania’s aformentioned reporting, when Horst flew to Greece in late July last year to meet with Giannis and assuage concerns the franchise legend had over the roster, he told GA that he believed the team could compete for a championship in the Eastern Conference. Eek.
Now, whether you think that was just something the Bucks GM told Giannis to try to keep him invested is up to you; I’m just relaying what was reported. In any event, Giannis was skeptical, apparently, and had already begun to cast his eyes elsewhere, taking a particular interest in joining the New York Knicks.
“The Bucks picked up the Knicks’ call on Antetokounmpo, and the sides engaged in conversations for a window of time in August, league sources said, but the teams never got traction on a deal.”
While it would be disingenuous to call this a legitimate “trade request,” at a minimum, Giannis was clearly questioning whether he could still win in the Cream City. His eyes were wandering, and chances were that if the first half of the season went poorly (which it did), the “eyes wandering” would turn into a trade request (which it did).
Horst had to see the oncoming train and get off the tracks while there was still time (provided Giannis would be willing to broaden his list of preferred locations, of course). Maybe it was too late in the offseason to make such a monumental move; I don’t know. It should have never gotten to that point anyway. I mean, what did the Bucks GM think was going to happen when he constructed a roster in which Gary Trent Jr. could be ranked the third-best player!? Looking back, the season that ensued was entirely predictable; I should have taken my green-coloured glasses off when I predicted a 47-win season. Sheesh.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – APRIL 10: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks sits on the bench during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum on April 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Like, we know that Giannis loves Milwaukee, but—again, approaching the final team-controlled year on his contract and with the team in significant pick debt—if you have even minimal doubts that you canconstruct a legit contender around him, then to me, it’s probably not worth trying. The big fella isn’t going to look at your hodgepodge attempt at creating a contender and give you an A for effort. With only so many years left in his career, he demands the real thing, as he has alluded to repeatedly over the years.
As the general manager, if you can no longer give GA the “real thing,” you need to cut your losses and end things on your terms. You have to. Because if you don’t, he will end things on his. There’s no blind loyalty in this game. Giannis has always operated under the simple premise that if he can win in Milwaukee, he will stay, and if he can’t, he will probably have to leave. Horst allowed himself to be left holding the bag because he was unrealistic about his ability to construct a team that could adhere to this requirement.
These are the moments that separate the great GMs: having the ability to A. be two steps ahead at all times, and B. have the stones to make incredibly tough decisions that may be unpopular in the moment but are in the team’s best long-term interests. I’m sure there were plenty of Thunder fans seething at Sam Presti for trading Paul George, which led to Russell Westbrook’s ouster and ended OKC’s title window, but he recognised that his assets—one of which is a franchise legend—were best maximised as trade chips, and boy, was he right about that. This same opportunity, more or less, could very well have been sitting in front of Horst, but he was clearly so wedded to the idea that he needed to keep his star player at all costs… that he allowed it to pass him by.
Decisions like these show why Presti is widely regarded as the best GM in the game, and Horst is not.
