Key Dates Ahead of 2025-26 NBA Season: Media Days, Camp Openings and Contract Deadlines
key-dates-ahead-of-2025-26-nba-season
The NBA’s busiest offseason checkpoints are in the rear-view mirror, but a series of important deadlines still loom before the 2025-26 regular season tips off. Below is a concise look at every remaining milestone on the league’s calendar.
International Competition
Aug. 27 – Sept. 24: FIBA EuroBasket 2025 will run throughout late summer, keeping several NBA players in action overseas.
Salary Cap Management
Aug. 29: Final day for clubs to waive a player and apply the stretch provision to that contract’s 2025-26 salary.
Hall of Fame Weekend
Sept. 5–6: The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will enshrine its 2025 class during its annual ceremonies in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Media Days and Training Camps
Sept. 23: Media day for the Nets, Knicks, 76ers, Pelicans and Suns.
Sept. 25: Those five teams open training camp.
Sept. 29: Media day and the start of training camp for the league’s other 25 franchises.
Preseason Schedule
Oct. 2: First preseason games.
Oct. 17: Final day of preseason play.
Guaranteed-Salary Cutoff
Oct. 18: Last opportunity for teams to waive fully non-guaranteed contracts so that no 2025-26 salary hits the cap; players must clear waivers before opening night.
Offseason Deadline Day
Oct. 20: Marks the official end of the 2025 offseason. Key elements include:
- Roster maximums drop from 21 to 18 players at 4:00 p.m. CT (15 standard contracts, three two-way deals).
- 5:00 p.m. CT deadline for rookie-scale extensions.
- Final chance to extend veteran players who have more than one year left on their deals.
- Cutoff for completing sign-and-trade transactions.
- Last day to convert an Exhibit 10 agreement into a two-way contract.
Opening Night
Oct. 21: The 2025-26 NBA regular season begins.
Source: Hoops Rumors
