The 2025-26 NBA regular season schedule was largely unveiled Thursday, confirming that two of the most anticipated return games will occur within a single week in November. The release provides the slate for 80 of each team’s 82 games, with the schedule for opening week, holiday games, and the NBA Cup group stage having been announced earlier.
On November 24, Kevin Durant will return to Phoenix for the first time as a member of the Houston Rockets. Just four days later, on November 28, Anthony Davis will make his return to Los Angeles when his Dallas Mavericks face the Lakers in an NBA Cup group stage contest.
These matchups also highlight the league’s new 11-year broadcast partnerships. Durant’s return, following his trade to Houston in June, will be televised on NBC. The return of Davis, who was part of a historic trade for Luka Doncic in February, will be streamed on Amazon Prime. The Lakers and Mavericks are also scheduled to play on January 24 in Dallas, February 12 in Los Angeles, and April 5 in Dallas.
Another notable date is February 1, when the Lakers will visit the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on NBC. The game falls exactly one year after the blockbuster Doncic trade was completed shortly after the two teams played on the same court.
As defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a schedule filled with high-profile matchups. They will host Durant and the Rockets for their ring ceremony on opening night, October 21. Houston will visit Oklahoma City again on February 7, while the Thunder’s lone trip to Houston is set for January 15.
A rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves is scheduled for November 26 in Oklahoma City, with subsequent games on December 19 and January 29 in Minnesota, and March 15 back in Oklahoma City.
A potential MVP showcase between reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and three-time winner Nikola Jokic will take place four times after the New Year. The Thunder will host the Denver Nuggets on February 27 and March 9, and will travel to Denver on February 1 and April 10.
The Thunder will also face the Lakers twice in a crucial late-season stretch, playing in Oklahoma City on April 2 and in Los Angeles on April 7.
Other significant games on the calendar include:
* Myles Turner, now with the Milwaukee Bucks, will return to Indiana on November 3 after playing his first 11 seasons with the Pacers.
* New LA Clippers center Brook Lopez will make his only visit to Milwaukee on March 29.
* Desmond Bane, traded to the Orlando Magic in a June blockbuster, will face his former Memphis Grizzlies team on January 18.
* LeBron James and the Lakers will visit Cleveland on January 28 in what could be his final game in the city.
* The Boston Celtics will welcome back two key members of their 2023-24 championship team in consecutive home games. Jrue Holiday and the Portland Trail Blazers will visit on January 26, followed by Kristaps Porzingis and the Atlanta Hawks on January 28.
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