Since we last left this feature, a month ago, a lot has happened, the biggest being Cam Thomas decision to exercise his qualifying offer of $6.0 million. Sean Marks ran two mods salary dumps acquiring Haywood Highsmith, a second round Heat pick and Kobe Bufkin. Nets also waived Keon Johnson and, it’s been reported and confirmed by his camp, agreed to sign 6’11” Chinese star Fanbo Zeng. Busy times! Exciting? We’ll know it soon enough. The week ahead is particularly busy.
Oh yeah, the New York Liberty
season ended prematurely.
—September 21: Long Island Nets open tryouts at Queens College, the ultimate treasure hunt. Nets GM Matt MacDonalx and head coach Mfon Udofia will pan for gold among 100 hopefuls, one or two of whom will get camp invites to Long Island’s training camp. The others? A t-shirt.
—September 23: Both Media Day and Sean Marks/Jordi Fernandez annual presser. Busy day. Not to mention announcement of 21-man camp roster. It’s an early start for teams for the Nets and four other teams who play overseas in preseason. Brooklyn is playing in China of course.
—September 24: First day of practice for those five teams.
—September 25: Grand Opening of Brooklyn Basketball Center in old Modell’s. Multiple practice courts and state-of-the-art equipment for youth basketball programs. Ceremonies begin 5:30 pm and runs till 8:30.
—September 27: Practice in the Park at the Potomac Playground in Bed-Stuy. Expect 2,500 fans at the playground
Festivities start at 12 noon.
—October 4: Only home game of Nets international-oriented preseason and it’s against Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli League. Will there be protests outside or inside Barclays?
Nets expected to leave for China.
—October 8: Opening of NBA House in Macao where the league will run a four-day “immersive” fan experience featuring former NBA stars including ex-Nets Stephon Marbury, a legend in China, and Deron Williams.
—October 10: First of two NBA China Games vs. Phoenix Suns at the sold-out 14,000 capacity Venetian in Macao. Fanbo Zeng makes his NBA debut?
—October 12: Second of two NBA China Games. Same opponent, same venue. Will David Muoka, a Hong Kong native and likely Long Island Net by then, be on hand?
—October 17: Another international preseason jaunt, this time to Toronto for final preseason game vs. Raptors. No info yet on YES preseason coverage.
—October 20: 5:00 pm ET. Teams have to get down to 15 standard roster spots and three two-ways. Big deadline for remaining players on non- or partially guaranteed contracts: Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin, Drew Timme and Ricky Council IV. Might know sooner as roster gets settled.
—October 21: Teams must get to their salary cap floor by the start of regular season. Nets are close after being under much of the summer. If a team doesn’t reach the salary floor before the season starts, the difference gets distributed among all the teams in the league who are above it.
—October 22: Opening night for the Nets vs. the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte: 7:00 p.m. ET
—October 24: Opening Night at Barclays Center vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: 7:30 p.m. ET
—October 31: Traditional date for G League training camps to opens.
—October 31: Deadline for 2026-27 team options on Kobe Bufkin, Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead.
—October 31: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Group Play tips off. Nets in group. They will compete in East Group B in-season tournament along with the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Philadelphia 76ers.
—November 3: First of Nets two nationally televised games this season, barring changes. Nets will host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Barclays Center on Peacock.
—November 7: Long Island Nets opening night at Nassau Coliseum. Vs. Capital City Go-Go. How many of Flatbushof Fl 5 will be on hand? How many of three two-ways?
—November 9: First of four New York Knick games, at Madison Square Garden. Others will be played November 24 at Barclays Center, January 21 at MSG and March 20 at Barclays.
—December 10: Jontay Porter sentencing at U.S. Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn on sports gambling charges. Expect Michael Porter Jr. to attend.
—December 16: Emirates Cup Championship, Las Vegas.
—January 1: Kevin Durant returns to Barclays Center with the Houston Rockets.
—January 5: 10-day contracts may now be signed.
—January 10: All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season.
—January 16: Nets second national TV game, vs. the Chicago Bulls on ESPN.
—January 29: Michael Porter Jr. returns to Denver, the only team he played with before being traded to the Nets
—January 30: Egor Demin returns to Utah where he played college ball at BYU.
—February 5: NBA Trade Deadline (3:00 pm ET)
—February 13-15: 2026 NBA All-Star in Los Angeles, CA
