7 Key Takeaways From the 2025-26 NBA Schedule Release

7 Key Takeaways From the 2025-26 NBA Schedule Release originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Though the general public didn’t know the exact details of the NBA's 2025-26 regular-season schedule until the league actually announced it Thursday, teams, players and fans know the formula.

The NBA will feature marquee games on Opening Night, Christmas Day and, since the past two seasons, the NBA Cup. The league will showcase high-profile players squaring off against their former teams. And it will feature potential rivalries between veteran stars and young talent. The NBA will feature most, if not all, of those games on national TV slots.

Among those various categories and beyond, which matchups appear to be the most interesting for the NBA’s 2025-26 season? Below is a sneak peak.

Why Luka Dončić remains the revenge game leader

Technically, Dončić already faced the Dallas Mavericks twice last season after the franchise surprisingly dealt him before the trade deadline to the Los Angeles Lakers. No matter. Dončić’s games against the Mavericks this season still represent the best revenge games. (Nov. 28  in L.A. for the NBA Cup, Jan. 24 at Dallas, Feb. 12 in L.A., and April 5 in Dallas).  

That’s because Dončić can show off his finely tuned body after the Mavericks anonymously slammed his conditioning and dietary habits after the trade. Added bonus: Anthony Davis will play in L.A. for the first time since the Lakers traded him as the deal’s centerpiece. Another bonus: Cooper Flagg will also play against Dončić and has provided the Mavericks some solace after unexpectedly landing the No. 1 pick.

Granted, the NBA missed a huge opportunity with maximizing this game’s draw. The Lakers and Mavericks should have played on Opening Night or Christmas Day so that Dončić could show off his improved physique right away. Regardless, the Dončić-Mavericks storyline won’t go away.

It also remains compelling than the Houston Rockets’ Kevin Durant facing the Phoenix Suns (Nov. 24 in Phoenix), the Los Angeles Clippers’ Bradley Beal squaring off against the Suns (Oct. 24 in L.A., Nov. 6 in Phoenix, Nov. 8 in L.A.) or the Milwaukee Bucks’ Myles Turner playing the Indiana Pacers (Nov. 3 in Indiana) for the first time since their respective departures. Though the Lakers-Mavs game lacks the same novelty as last season, there are rich story developments that make for a compelling sequel.

Why Cleveland Cavaliers-New York Knicks game wins Christmas Day (all games on ABC/ESPN)

The NBA tilted heavy with its Christmas Day games toward the Western Conference, with the San Antonio Spurs-Oklahoma City Thunder (2:30 p.m. ET), Mavericks-Golden State Warriors (5 p.m. ET), Rockets-Lakers (8 p.m. ET) and Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m. ET). That seems understandable considering the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics are nursing season-ending Achilles injuries to their respective star players, Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum. Still, Cavaliers-Knicks will win on Christmas Day for a few reasons.

One, this game will likely be an Eastern Conference finals preview because of both teams’ respective talent and because they play in a diminished conference. Both teams also have intriguing storylines. Is veteran head coach Mike Brown the missing piece to Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns winning an NBA title after advancing to last year’s Eastern finals? Will the Cavaliers properly rectify their second-round playoff failure by ensuring their regular-season dominance doesn’t fizzle out?

As for the other games? Spurs-Thunder look like a Western finals preview — perhaps in a few more years. We’ve already seen Durant duke it out with LeBron James plenty of times. Klay Thompson faced the Warriors already in a Mavs uniform. The Nuggets and Wolves have already produced fun competitive moments. The Knicks-Cavs game seems more like a novelty.

Why Thunder-Rockets game will win Opening Night (all games on NBC/Peacock)

No one ever tires of seeing James and Stephen Curry compete. The NBA can attest to that with the two generational stars meeting in four consecutive NBA Finals (2015-18) and an NBA play-in tournament game (2021). When the Lakers and Warriors play on Opening Night on Oct. 21 (10 p.m. ET), expect another fun game filled with competitiveness and nostalgia. But the Rockets-Thunder game (7:30 p.m. ET) seems more compelling.

The Thunder will receive their championship rings, and they will soak in that episode in front of Durant nearly nine years after he left the franchise. Durant has since won two NBA titles, but that moment inevitably will create what-if fascination about Durant’s mercenary career with subsequent stops in Brooklyn (2020-23) and Phoenix (2023-25). The Rockets also are the most likely Western Conference team to challenge the Thunder in a playoff series. They have strong young talent (Amen Thompson, Alperen Şengün), elite coaching (Ime Udoka) and, of course, Durant’s stardom.

The Warriors and Lakers both have a chance to become dangerous playoff teams because of their respective generational star power, depth and continuity. But neither team is considered the heavy NBA title-contending favorite the Thunder and Rockets are.

What is the most fun young team matchup?

That nod goes to the Spurs-Thunder game, which partly explains why the NBA will feature them on Christmas Day. 

Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) and Chet Holmgren (Thunder) have repeatedly downplayed their big-man rivalry, but they have matched up with a competitive edge with quality rim protection and offensive versatility. This game will also feature two elite point guards in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and De’Aaron Fox (Spurs). Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the NBA’s elite scorers with how he plays in isolation and draws trips to the free-throw line. Fox remains one of the NBA’s fastest point guards, and he still excels at both a scorer and passer at a controlled pace.

It's odd that the NBA also scheduled the Spurs and Thunder to play on Dec. 23 in San Antonio, only two days before resuming the matchup on Christmas in OKC. Usually, the NBA wants to wait to showcase a marquee matchup around a tentpole event. But perhaps that Dec. 23 game fuels the competitive juices leading into the Christmas Day slate.

What is the most fun non-playoff preview type matchup?

Typically, the NBA will feature playoff contenders on national TV. Not surprising then that the Utah Jazz-Charlotte Hornets games will only appear on local broadcasts on Nov. 2 (in Charlotte 6 p.m. ET) and on Jan. 10 (at Utah, 9:30 p.m. ET). The Jazz are expected to tank once again. The Hornets could improve from their 19-63 season last season, but their core players have struggled to stay healthy.

Barring major injuries, though, these Jazz-Hornets games could be fun to watch on NBA League Pass.

The Hornets’ No. 4 pick (Kon Knueppel) would square off against the Jazz’s No. 5 pick (Ace Bailey). The Hornets’ LaMelo Ball hopes to become an All-Star again after staying limited in recent seasons with injuries. The Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen hopes for an All-Star redemption season after also struggling with injuries.

It’s good both of these games take place somewhat early in the season. If the NBA featured these games after the trade deadline, the Jazz may have been sitting their core players in hopes to improve their draft lottery odds.

Why it’s good Thunder was rewarded with national TV exposure

Unsurprisingly, the Warriors, Lakers and Knicks each will have 34 of their games broadcast on national TV. Finally, the Thunder will have the same exposure. Both developments are warranted. The Warriors, Lakers and Knicks are all big-market teams with plenty of star power and devoted fan bases. The Thunder just won the NBA title and have the league’s MVP in Gilgeous-Alexander. But we’ve seen in the past that well-run small-market franchises don’t always register with a national, general-interest audience.

Think of the 2000s San Antonio Spurs or even the 2023 Denver Nuggets. They each won NBA championships thanks to elite coaches, transformational stars and role players who prioritized team-oriented basketball. Though hoops purists and their local fans appreciate those teams, that interest rarely translated enough on a national scale. Thankfully, the NBA has seen a growing appetite for quality team-oriented basketball, regardless of market size. Hence, the Thunder landed as many national TV games as the other familiar big-market franchises.

How will NBA fans adjust to new TV lineup?

The NBA has become proactive with informing its fans which broadcast rights partner will air its nationally televised game. This is a quick primer.

Inevitably, though, the NBA’s lucrative TV rights deal starting next season will create some short-term turbulence. One, NBA fans inevitably will miss the TNT telecasts. Two, it remains to be seen what the famed “Inside the NBA” show will look like on ESPN. Three, NBA fans have way too many cable and streaming options to juggle and budget.

Of course, the NBA maximized its bottom line with a 11-year, $75 billion media rights deal that includes new partners (Amazon, NBC), retains existing ones (Disney) and terminates another longstanding one (Turner). The NBA has also expanded its reach by melding linear TV (NBC, ABC, ESPN) and streaming options (Amazon, Peacock, ESPN). But it seems likely fans are going to become frustrated with how much more money they have to spend just to follow the league.

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Athlon Sports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.