2025-26 NBA schedule marked by Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis returns

Two of the most important return video games of the 2025-26 NBA common season will happen inside a single week in November, because the overwhelming majority of the schedule for all 30 NBA groups was launched Thursday on ESPN’s “NBA At this time.”

On Nov. 24, Kevin Durant will return to Phoenix for the primary time as a member of the Houston Rockets. On Nov. 28, Anthony Davis will return to Los Angeles because the Dallas Mavericks face the Lakers in an NBA Cup group recreation.

Every group now is aware of 80 of the 82 video games it can play. The opening-week and vacation video games, in addition to the NBA Cup group schedule, have been introduced earlier this week.

The schedule additionally highlights the NBA’s new partnerships with NBC/Comcast and Amazon as a part of the league’s 11-year pact with these broadcast entities alongside ESPN/ABC, which is able to retain the NBA Finals.

Durant’s return to Phoenix, which traded the star to Houston in June, can be proven on NBC. In the meantime, Davis, who was swapped for Luka Doncic in February in one of the vital surprising trades in NBA historical past, will return to Los Angeles on Amazon Prime.

The Lakers and Mavericks will meet three different occasions this season: Jan. 24 in Dallas (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), Feb. 12 in Los Angeles and April 5 in Dallas.

On Feb. 1 — precisely a 12 months after the Lakers performed at Madison Sq. Backyard in opposition to the New York Knicks, just for the Doncic commerce to occur shortly after the sport — these two groups will once more sq. off at MSG on NBC.

The defending champion Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder may also have plenty of huge matchups, lots of them over the again half of the schedule. Durant and the Rockets will go to Oklahoma Metropolis for the ring ceremony on opening night time (Oct. 21), and Houston can be again in Oklahoma Metropolis on Feb. 7 (3:30 p.m., ABC); the Thunder will make their lone journey to Houston on Jan. 15.

The Thunder will first see the Minnesota Timberwolves, their Western Convention finals opponent final season, on Nov. 26 (7:30 p.m., ESPN) in Oklahoma Metropolis, the place they may once more play March 15 (1 p.m., ESPN). They may play in Minnesota twice, on Dec. 19 and Jan. 29.

All 4 matchups between Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was final season’s MVP, and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets will happen from February onward, giving each gamers an opportunity to make a late case for this season’s award. Denver will journey to Oklahoma Metropolis on Feb. 27 (9:30 p.m., ESPN) and March 9, and the Nuggets will host the Thunder on Feb. 1 and April 10.

That is not the solely potential MVP showdown late within the season. The Lakers and Thunder will face one another twice over a brief span — in Oklahoma Metropolis on April 2 and in Los Angeles on April 7.

The Thunder may have 4 late-season conferences in opposition to Japanese Convention favorites Cleveland — on the Cavaliers on Jan. 19, in Oklahoma Metropolis on Feb. 22 (1 p.m., ABC) — and New York — at Madison Sq. Backyard on March 4 (7 p.m., ESPN), in Oklahoma Metropolis on March 29.

The Knicks and Cavaliers will play in New York throughout opening week (Oct. 22, 7 p.m., ESPN) and on Christmas Day (midday, ABC/ESPN) earlier than a ultimate matchup in Cleveland on Feb. 24.

New York will host the resurgent Atlanta Hawks and longtime MSG villain Trae Younger for the primary time this season Jan. 2. The Cavaliers, in the meantime, will host LeBron James in what may very well be his ultimate recreation in Cleveland on Jan. 28 (7 p.m., ESPN).

Different notable returns by star gamers are on the schedule.

Heart Myles Turner, who has performed just for the Pacers throughout his first 11 NBA seasons, will return to Indiana on Nov. 3 as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.

New LA Clippers middle Brook Lopez will make his lone go to again to Milwaukee on March 29.

Desmond Bane, who was traded by the Grizzlies to the Orlando Magic in a blockbuster deal in June, will go to Memphis on Jan. 18.

In back-to-back video games later that month, the Boston Celtics will welcome again a pair of key contributors from their 2023-24 championship group that have been traded away this summer season. Jrue Vacation and the Portland Path Blazers will go to Boston on Jan. 26, and Kristaps Porzingis and the Hawks will come to city Jan. 28.