With the announcement of the schedule on Thursday, Rookie Wire identified some of the most highly anticipated matchups for next season.
The NBA on Thursday unveiled the complete game and broadcast schedule for the 2025-26 regular season, which tips off Oct. 21 with a doubleheader on NBC and Peacock.
The regular season, which comprises 82 games for each team, concludes on April 12, with the play-in tournament set to take place April 14-17. The first round of the playoffs will start on April 18-19 and conclude with the 2026 NBA Finals in June.
The league announced Wednesday that the third annual in-season tournament will begin on Oct. 31. The eight teams that advance from the group play games will start the knockout stage Dec 8-9 before the semifinals and finals Dec. 13-16 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The NBA today released its complete game schedule for the 2025-26 regular season.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 14, 2025
▪️ Press release: https://t.co/LnTxzCBXyt
▪️ Schedule by team: https://t.co/3gWlazdsd5
▪️ Schedule by date: https://t.co/nGh9DYlpRk
NBA Schedule Release presented by @Ticketmasterpic.twitter.com/iNIlCxwSXo
The annual schedule release marks a key moment for teams around the league as the dates of several marquee matchups become known. The unveiling also gives us our initial look at when we can expect the 2025 NBA draft to take the floor for the first time.
With a talented group of first-year players set to enter the NBA, headlined by No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, the upcoming season should feature plenty of intriguing rookie matchups. Rookie Wire identified some of the most highly anticipated games for next season.
No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg vs. No. 2 pick Dylan Harper
Date: Oct. 22
No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks will open the regular season against No. 2 pick Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center in front of a nationally-televised audience on ESPN (9:30 p.m. EDT). The scheduled matchup is set to mark the second time since 1966 that the top two picks in the same draft will face each other in the first career regular-season game for both players. The previous instance was in 2015 (Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell). The game will also prove meaningful with Flagg set to face 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama for the first time.
Other anticipated Cooper Flagg matchups
- As the top pick, Flagg will play in several noteworthy games throughout the season. Entering the season, Flagg said in a Reddit AMA that he is most excited to play his former teammates from Duke and the Montverde Academy. With former Blue Devils Kon Knueppel and Sion James on the Charlotte Hornets, along with Montverde Academy teammate Liam McNeeley, Flagg will have his first chance to face them on Jan. 29. Other Duke teammates that Flagg will face: Khaman Maluach (Phoenix Suns) on Nov. 12 and Tyrese Proctor (Cleveland Cavaliers) in a back-to-back set on March 13-15. He will also see teammates Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans) on Nov. 5 and Asa Newell (Atlanta Hawks) on March 10 from the Montverde Academy. (Note: Queen underwent wrist surgery on July 18 and was expected to miss at least 12 weeks, putting his status at the start of the season in question.)
- Flagg will play LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time on Nov. 28 in the in-season tournament on the road. Flagg had the chance to spend time with James last year with USA Basketball ahead of the Olympics, making this matchup likely a memorable one for Flagg. (Lakers guard Luka Dončić will make his second appearance back in Dallas since his trade on Jan. 24.)
Dylan Harper vs. No. 5 pick Ace Bailey
Date: Dec. 27
Harper and Bailey established themselves as top-five picks in the draft after dazzling freshman campaigns last year at Rutgers. Though the team failed to make any relevant noise in the postseason, the duo became a must-watch throughout the season as five-star prospects. They celebrated with each other on draft night and will undoubtedly have this matchup in Utah highlighted on their calendars.
No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe vs. Bennedict Mathurin
Date: Jan. 19
Let us explain why this matchup will be worth watching.
Appearing on "Podcast P" with teammate Paul George, Edgecombe revealed that he will be excited to face several players for the first time, including the usuals like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Edwards, among others.
Edgecome also named Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin after an exchange the two had in 2023 at the adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. After winning MVP, Edgecombe said Mathurin approached him and told him to be ready when he enters the NBA.
"I was at Eurocamp in Italy," Edgecombe said. "I won the MVP or what not. After all that, Bennedict Mathurin came to me talking about, 'When you get to the league, I’m going to bust your (expletive).' ... He didn't even say what's up. He said: 'I'm going to bust your (expletive).' I'm like, 'Where the love at? No love?'"
VJ Edgecombe already has an NBA rival 👀😂
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) July 28, 2025
“Bennedict Mathurin come talking to me, 'When you get to the league I’ma bust ya a**.’” pic.twitter.com/in87Y5170F
In addition to the players Edgecombe listed on the podcast, the third overall pick will likely be eager to face fellow Bahamians Deandre Ayton (Lakers) on Dec. 7 and Buddy Hield (Golden State) on Dec. 4 after playing with them last year in the Olympic qualifying tournament.
The first matchup between Edgecombe and Cooper Flagg will likely be one to monitor after the two had an infamous battle in high school. They also faced each other earlier this year in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, with Flagg and Duke emerging with the win.
Ace Bailey vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Date: March 4
Everyone knows the story by now.
Bailey and his representation orchestrated a precarious predraft process after canceling a workout with the Philadelphia 76ers and turning down other invitations, including one from the Jazz. He ended up as the only U.S.-based prospect who didn't work out with any team.
The 19-year-old was consistently projected to be the third pick in June, but fell to the Jazz after refusing to visit the City of Brotherly Love. Fittingly, Bailey won't be warmly welcomed by Sixers fans when the Jazz make their lone stop of the season in Philadelphia on March 4.
Bailey will almost certainly be booed every time he touches the ball in that contest. The theatrics should be highly entertaining and make an otherwise insignificant matchup worth checking out.
Debut of No. 16 Pick Yang Hansen
Date: Oct. 22
Yang was a relatively unknown prospect throughout much of the predraft process until the Trail Blazers selected him with the 16th pick. The pick was met with some criticism, but the front office was ecstatic to add him after scouting him extensively for the past two years.
The 7-footer was an All-Star in each of the past two seasons with Qingdao in the CBA, the top professional league in China. He averaged 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, three assists and 2.6 blocks in 32.8 minutes per game across 45 appearances last season.
Yang debuted with the Trail Blazers in the NBA Summer League, averaging 10.8 points, five rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 blocks on 45.7% shooting from the field in four appearances. He scored in double figures three times, including a 15-point effort on July 15.
The 20-year-old is highly touted for his overall skill set and ability as a player who can work down low, space the floor and protect the paint. He has drawn some praise from teammates Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard, and should be worth watching on opening night and throughout the year.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: NBA schedule release: 5 must-watch rookie matchups for 2025-26 season
Category: Basketball
