The NBA Cup enters its fourth year hopeful that a pair of firsts can help grow the audience for its in-season tournament.
For the first time, the defending NBA Cup champion is also the reigning NBA champion
. For the first time, the event's championship game will be played outside Las Vegas. For the New York Knicks, it's an early season challenge once group-play games begin this week. They will attempt to become the first repeat winner of the NBA Cup.Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 NBA Cup, including tournament format, schedule and how to watch all the games:
What is the NBA Cup?
The Emirates NBA Cup is the league's annual in-season tournament, which was started in 2023 to help
drive interest in the early season schedule. The competition features group play and knockout rounds with players and teams competing for a prize pool of money that increases based on how far a team advances.
When does the NBA Cup start?
The first games of the 2026 NBA Cup will take place on Friday, Oct. 30, when group play begins. Subsequent games are scheduled every Friday through Nov. 27. There will also be NBA Cup games on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and Wednesday, Nov. 25.
How does the NBA Cup work?
The league's 30 teams were separated into six groups featuring five teams in August. The NBA determined the groups using a draw system that placed each team in a pod based on their record during the 2025-26 season. The draw placed one team from each pot into each of the three groups in both the Eastern and Western Conferences.
Teams will play one game against every other opponent in their group, with two games at home and two games on the road.
What are the 2026 NBA Cup groups?
East A
- Detroit Pistons
- Toronto Raptors
- Orlando Magic
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Brooklyn Nets
East B
- New York Knicks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Miami Heat
- Indiana Pacers
East C
- Boston Celtics
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Washington Wizards
West A
- Denver Nuggets
- Houston Rockets
- Phoenix Suns
- Dallas Mavericks
- Utah Jazz
West B
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Los Angeles Clippers
West C
- San Antonio Spurs
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Golden State Warriors
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
2026 NBA Cup schedule
- Group play games: Oct. 30-Nov. 27
- Quarterfinals: Dec. 4-5
- Semifinals: Dec. 8-9
- Championship game: Dec. 11
How do teams advance in the NBA Cup?
Eight teams advance to the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup. It will feature the six group winners and one wild-card team from each conference. The wild cards will be the teams with the best record in group play that finished second in its group standings. If multiple teams are tied for a wild-card spot, the NBA uses a series of tiebreakers, including point differential, to determine which team advances.
The knockout rounds are single-elimination games, beginning with the quarterfinals on Dec. 4-5.
Do NBA Cup games count toward the regular-season standings?
Yes. All NBA Cup group-play games, as well as the quarterfinals and semifinals, count toward a team's regular-season record. Each team that doesn't qualify for the knockout rounds will play two regular-season games from Dec. 9-15 that are to be determined.
Does the NBA Cup championship game count toward the regular season standings?
No. The NBA Cup championship game is the only game during the league's in-season tournament that does not count toward the regular-season standings.
Where is the NBA Cup championship game played?
The 2026 NBA Cup championship game will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday, Dec. 11. It had previously been held in Las Vegas.
What does the NBA Cup winner get?
The winner of the NBA Cup receives the NBA Cup trophy and the players from the winning team receive the largest allocation from the NBA Cup prize money pool.
How much prize money do NBA Cup players receive?
The NBA has a prize pool allocated for players that qualify for the knockout rounds as part of its collective bargaining agreement, with the amount of money doled out increasing depending on how far a player's team makes it in the tournament.
Each member of the winning team earned $500,000 when the NBA Cup began in 2023 and that figure had risen to $530,933 last year, according to multiple reports. Each player from the runner-up team in 2025 earned $212,373.
Watch NBA Cup games with Prime Video
How to watch NBA Cup games
Most NBA Cup games, including the knockout rounds and championship game, will stream exclusively on Prime Video. Select group-play games on Nov. 24-25 will also air nationally on NBC and ESPN, with live streaming available on Peacock, ESPN Unlimited and Fubo.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How does the NBA Cup work? 2026 schedule, format, groups and more
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