The NBA will reveal the full schedule for the 2026/27 regular season schedule in a matter of hours, with that announcement set for 2:00 pm Central time (3 pm CT). In the meantime, the league has provided a sneak peek at a few more marquee matchups, sharing its slate of games for Martin Luther King Day in January and Presidents’ Day in February.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the league’s usual showcase on MLK Day will begin with a Pistons/Cavaliers matchup at noon ET and will be followed by Sixers at Hawks (2:30 pm ET), Timberwolves at Knicks (5 pm ET), and Rockets at Grizzlies (7:30 pm ET). All four games of that Jan. 18 quadruple-header will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
Meanwhile, the Presidents’ Day showcase will be a new one for the NBA, with the league taking advantage of the fact that its All-Star Game will fall a little later than usual this season. The NBA will have another quadruple-header airing on NBC and Peacock on February 15 (Twitter link), headlined by LaMelo Ball‘s return to Charlotte to start the day. After the Timberwolves at Hornets game, the Presidents’ Day lineup will also feature Sixers at Mavericks, Spurs at Heat, and Pacers at Warriors.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
While there are still several notable unsigned free agents on the market, many of the biggest deals completed between now and the start of the regular season are likely to be contract extensions. With that in mind, Keith Smith of Spotrac explores which players are eligible to sign rookie scale or veteran extensions between now and October 19 and considers which players are the top candidates to put pen to paper in the next two-plus months.
Deniro Laster, a childhood friend and co-defendant of Terry Rozier in the ongoing NBA gambling case, has had his bond revoked by a federal judge. That Eastern District of New York judge, LaShann DeArcy Hall, ruled that Laster had violated the conditions of the bond by contacting co-defendants and attempting witness intimidation. ESPN’s Michael Rothstein has the details.
The Spurs, Thunder, Knicks, and Sixers are among the top title contenders for 2026/27, but each of those teams has an area of concern that could hinder their championship chances. A team of ESPN insiders explores the possible red flags to watch for those four clubs and six other title hopefuls.