The NBA has unveiled its 2026-27 regular-season schedule, with a Christmas Day Finals rematch and several high-profile returns among the standout fixtures announced on Thursday.
Defending champion New York Knicks will host the San Antonio Spurs on December 25 in their first meeting since New York defeated San Antonio in last season’s NBA Finals. The teams will meet again in San Antonio on March 7.
The Knicks-Spurs clash will begin the five-game Christmas schedule at noon ET. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat will then visit the Boston Celtics at 2:30 p.m.
Attention will shift to Los Angeles at 5 p.m., when LeBron James returns to face the Lakers for the first time since joining the Philadelphia 76ers. Oklahoma City Thunder will visit Minnesota Timberwolves at 8 p.m., before Denver Nuggets face Golden State Warriors at 10:30 p.m.
The schedule also features several emotional homecomings following a busy offseason.
Jaylen Brown will return to Boston with Philadelphia on January 21 after being traded by the Celtics. The former NBA Finals MVP spent his first 10 seasons in Boston. His first meeting with his former team will come earlier, when Philadelphia hosts the Celtics on November 10.
Antetokounmpo will return to Milwaukee on January 28 as a Heat player. The two-time MVP spent 13 seasons with the Bucks and led them to the 2021 NBA championship before his move to Miami this summer.
Ja Morant, now with the Portland Trail Blazers, will return to Memphis on February 6, while Minnesota’s LaMelo Ball will visit former club Charlotte on February 15.
Opening night on October 20 will see Boston travel to Detroit before the Knicks raise their championship banner against a revamped Philadelphia team featuring James and Brown. San Antonio will then host Oklahoma City in a Western Conference Finals rematch.
Another notable rematch is scheduled for February 5, when Indiana Pacers visit Oklahoma City. Tyrese Haliburton, who tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals and missed last season, is now healthy.
The top two selections from the 2026 draft will also meet on February 27, when No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa and Washington face No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson and Utah.
Teams have received dates for 80 of their 82 games, with the final two fixtures to be determined by NBA Cup group-stage results and played during the December 4-10 window.
