The schedule for the 2025-26 NBA season has been released. We’ve examined the league’s return to broadcast television on one network and debut on another, along with the significant number of games you can view across that network, as well as the season’s top games you should watch.
Now, let’s delve into the specifics of the schedule and examine which teams possess an advantage or disadvantage in terms of back-to-back games, nationally televised matchups, and other factors — such as the frequency of bobblehead promotional nights.
Which teams will be featured most often on national television?
Four teams will appear the maximum of 34 times on national television:
• Lakers
• Warriors
• Knicks
• Thunder
The Timberwolves and Rockets are next, with 28 national TV appearances each. Rounding out the top 10 are the Nuggets (26), Celtics (25), Cavaliers (24), and Mavericks (23).
Every team is scheduled for at least two nationally televised games.
With the introduction of Peacock NBA Mondays and numerous NBA Cup contests airing exclusively on a particular streaming service, the total number of nationally broadcast games this season has increased to 244, from 172 the prior year. As the NFL season approaches its conclusion, the NBA will heighten its presence with nationally televised games each evening.
If we exclude games exclusive to streaming platforms from the national broadcast game count, focusing solely on games airing on broadcast networks, the teams with the most games are: Knicks (21), Lakers (20), Thunder (20), Warriors (19) and Nuggets (18). It’s important to mention that both the Rockets and Timberwolves are slated for 17 of these games. Worth pointing out all those games available on broadcast television will be accessible on platforms such as Peacock for the games on a specific network as well.
Which teams will play the most back-to-back games?
Each team is scheduled for 13 to 16 back-to-back games, with an average of 14.4 (a slight decrease from 14.9 the previous season). The five teams with the highest number of back-to-backs (16) are:
• Hornets
• Nuggets
• 76ers
• Suns
• Wizards
Equally noteworthy is the frequency with which a team faces an opponent on the second night of a back-to-back. Leading this metric, the 76ers will face 18 teams on the second leg of a back-to-back, while the Nuggets are at the opposite end, facing only 12 such opponents.
Teams in Utah, Philadelphia, and Sacramento each have 14 rest advantage games, tied for the highest count in the league, according to a sports data source.
The schedule does not include any instances of teams playing four games within a five-night span.
Additional schedule observations
• Teams will get rest before marquee games. The NBA has indicated that teams will not play on the day preceding these games:
*All nationally televised opening-week games
*All Emirates NBA Cup games
*All Christmas Day games
*The four-game Peacock/NBC schedule on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
*The 10-game broadcast network Saturday schedule and eight-game broadcast network Sunday schedule
*The 11-game broadcast network Sunday schedule
• Pelicans face the most challenging NBA schedule. Remember that the Pelicans made a deal involving a future draft pick so they could move up and draft a specific player? Keep this in mind as you look at projections for schedule difficulty in the NBA this season from an analytical source:
It’s worth noting that an experienced team like the Warriors is ranked fourth on this list, with the Mavericks in fifth place.
• Influence of Clippers’ new arena. An interesting point from a sports journalist:
• The Clippers will host the most bobblehead nights. Do the Clippers’ fans appreciate bobbleheads?
A particular player is a good player, but does he warrant a bobblehead?
