19 September 2026
For the first time since the tournament's inception in 2023, all 30 NBA teams will participate in an expanded group stage, with eight advancing to a knockout round. Group Play starts on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 and runs through Friday, Dec. 11, 2026. Players on winning teams can share a reported $10 million prize pot.
The Emirates NBA Cup 2026 marks a milestone as the tournament expands significantly from previous incarnations. Whereas earlier iterations typically involved invitational rosters or featured fewer than half the league, this year the Cup will include the entire 30-team roster.
This fourth edition introduces a full group stage before the knockout rounds. Six groups of five teams will compete, three in each conference. The winners and a second-place wild card from each conference will then advance to the single-elimination quarterfinals, where the semifinals and ultimate championship will follow.
This adds a tournament dimension to the regular season, with Cup games affecting team standings. In the 2026-27 regular-season schedule, each of the 30 teams will have 80 of their 82 contests confirmed, and only two TBD games, to be determined by Cup results.
The former invitational rosters are gone, replaced by squads of regular players. All 30 NBA teams enter Group Play, each facing four Group Play games, one against each of the other four in its group. Friday nights are Cup Nights, with all games on that day counting for Group Play, plus two additional dates in late November.
The six group winners will comprise two-thirds of the knockout field, with an additional two wildcard competitors per conference chosen according to their group stage performance.
Mark your calendars for tournament play Oct. 30 through Nov. 27 on Fridays, plus Nov. 24 and 25, with a Black Friday doubleheader on Prime Video. The knockout rounds, a single-elimination format, will all take place in December. Quarterfinals are Dec. 4 and 5, semifinals Dec. 8 and 9, and the championship final at noon Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
It is the first time the Cup final will be held outside Las Vegas, and the only match that doesn't count toward regular season standings in this in-season tournament.
Away games remain away games, requiring careful logistical planning to keep all but the final in team home markets. Friday nights are Cup Nights, when all Group Play games occur, plus two additional late November dates. Thanksgiving week features a tripleheader Thanksgiving Eve on ESPN featuring Miami at Philadelphia, Minnesota at Oklahoma City, and San Antonio at Portland.
As noted, the regular season schedule will have players traveling to unknown destinations: two of the remaining 30 sites are TBD based on which teams make the finals.
The Emirates NBA Cup 2026 will have a reported $10 million prize pool for players, part of the league's competitive balance initiatives. Each player on the winning team gets a trophy and a reported $500,000 share, according to ESPN sources familiar with the 2023 figures adjusted for inflation.
The trophy's prestige, financial rewards, and new venue may boost viewership, though season-ticket holder reactions remain uncertain regarding whether regular season or international viewership benefits will dominate.