Durant, Davis return games anchor 2025-26 NBA slate
durant-davis-return-games-highlight-2025-26-nba-schedule
Two of the season’s most anticipated matchups land in the same week of November, according to the 2025-26 regular-season schedule unveiled Thursday on ESPN’s “NBA Today.”
Nov. 24: Kevin Durant plays in Phoenix for the first time since being traded to the Houston Rockets in June. The game will air on NBC.
Nov. 28: Anthony Davis heads back to Los Angeles as the Dallas Mavericks face the Lakers in an NBA Cup group contest streamed on Amazon Prime.
Broadcast shuffle
The league’s new 11-year media package debuts this season, adding NBC/Comcast and Amazon alongside ESPN/ABC, which keeps the NBA Finals. Thursday’s release supplied 80 of each team’s 82 dates; opening-week, holiday and NBA Cup group games were announced earlier.
Lakers–Mavericks collisions
Beyond Davis’s return, Los Angeles and Dallas meet Jan. 24 in Dallas (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), Feb. 12 in Los Angeles and April 5 in Dallas.
On Feb. 1 — exactly one year after the Lakers and Knicks shared Madison Square Garden hours before the Luka Dončić trade — the clubs reunite at MSG on NBC.
Champions in the spotlight
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder open Oct. 21 by hosting Durant and the Rockets for a ring ceremony. Houston returns Feb. 7 (3:30 p.m., ABC), while Oklahoma City visits Houston Jan. 15.
Western Conference finalist Minnesota visits OKC Nov. 26 (7:30 p.m., ESPN) and March 15 (1 p.m., ESPN); the Thunder travel to Minneapolis Dec. 19 and Jan. 29.
Late-season MVP duels
All four meetings between reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and three-time winner Nikola Jokić occur after Feb. 1. Denver goes to Oklahoma City Feb. 27 (9:30 p.m., ESPN) and March 9; the Thunder head to Denver Feb. 1 and April 10.
The Thunder and Lakers square off twice in April — April 2 in Oklahoma City and April 7 in Los Angeles.
Cross-conference clashes
Oklahoma City faces Cleveland on Jan. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Feb. 22 in OKC (1 p.m., ABC). New York hosts the Thunder March 4 (7 p.m., ESPN), with a rematch in Oklahoma City March 29.
The Knicks and Cavaliers meet Oct. 22 at MSG (7 p.m., ESPN), again on Christmas Day (noon, ABC/ESPN) and Feb. 24 in Cleveland.
Atlanta’s Trae Young makes his first 2025-26 visit to Madison Square Garden Jan. 2. Cleveland welcomes the Lakers — and possibly LeBron James’s final game in his home state — Jan. 28 (7 p.m., ESPN).
Notable homecomings
- Myles Turner returns to Indiana Nov. 3 with the Milwaukee Bucks.
- Brook Lopez visits Milwaukee March 29 as the Los Angeles Clippers’ new center.
- Desmond Bane heads back to Memphis Jan. 18 with the Orlando Magic.
- Boston greets two members of its 2023-24 title team: Jrue Holiday and the Portland Trail Blazers Jan. 26, followed by Kristaps Porziņģis and the Atlanta Hawks Jan. 28.
All 30 clubs now have the bulk of their paths mapped out as the league prepares for a season featuring fresh broadcast partners, a second NBA Cup and several high-profile reunions.
Source: ESPN
