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The NBA Preseason Is Over. Opening Night Is Tuesday

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NBA 2026-27 Season Tips Off Tuesday October 20: Opening Night Schedule, Roster Cuts & What to Know

Pro Merch · NBA 2026–27 Season · Opening Night

The NBA Preseason Is Over.
Opening Night Is Tuesday.

The 2026–27 NBA regular season tips off October 20 with a nationally televised doubleheader. Roster cuts are being finalized league-wide. Here is everything you need to know before Tuesday night’s opening tip.

Tuesday October 20 · Tips Off Cavs at Knicks · 7:30 PM ET Timberwolves at Lakers · 10:00 PM ET All 30 Teams Active by Wednesday Roster Cuts Deadline Now
2026–27 NBA Regular Season
Opening Night Doubleheader — National TV
Tuesday
Oct 20 Tip-off from 7:30 PM ET

Roster Cuts & Deadline Window — All 30 Teams Acting Now

✂️
Standard Contracts
15 Players
Teams must trim from 21-player preseason rosters down to the regular-season maximum of 15 standard contract players.
🔄
Two-Way Contracts
3 Slots Max
Each team can carry up to three Two-Way contracts, allowing players to split time between the NBA roster and the G League.
⏱️
Waiver Window
48 Hours
Any player released during this window enters a 48-hour waiver period before becoming a free agent available to any team.

The conclusion of the preseason triggers the most consequential organizational deadline of the NBA offseason. Front offices across all 30 teams are making final decisions right now on which players earn one of the 15 standard contract spots and which get waived or converted to Two-Way deals. For players on the bubble, the next 48 hours determine their season.

The waiver system means no released player disappears quietly. Every team in the league has the opportunity to claim a waived player before they become a free agent, which creates a secondary market of transactions that can meaningfully reshape depth charts league-wide in the final 48 hours before Tuesday’s tip-off.

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Opening Night Schedule — Tuesday, October 20

Game 1 · 7:30 PM ET
National TV · Opening Night
Cleveland Cavaliers
Away Team
Cleveland Cavaliers
@
7:30 PM
ET
Oct 20
New York Knicks
Home Team
New York Knicks

An East vs. East early-season heavyweight clash. The Cavaliers enter as one of the Eastern Conference’s most consistent playoff presences, while the Knicks open at Madison Square Garden in front of what will be one of the loudest crowds in the NBA on Opening Night. The Garden on opening night is its own category of atmosphere.

Shop Cavaliers Shop Knicks
Game 2 · 10:00 PM ET
National TV · Primetime West Coast
Minnesota Timberwolves
Away Team
Minnesota Timberwolves
@
10:00 PM
ET
Oct 20
Los Angeles Lakers
Home Team
Los Angeles Lakers

The primetime late game brings Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves into Crypto.com Arena to face the Lakers, who enter the 2026-27 season without LeBron James for the first time in years following his signing with the Philadelphia 76ers this past summer. The Lakers are building around a new identity; Minnesota is determined to prove last season’s playoff run was only the beginning.

Shop Timberwolves Shop Lakers
· · 🏀 · ·

Wednesday, October 21 — The Rest of the League Tips Off

26 Teams. One Night. The Season Fully Underway.

The remaining 26 franchises not featured in Tuesday’s doubleheader will all tip off on Wednesday, October 21, in a massive league-wide slate that brings the full NBA schedule to life simultaneously. Every team in both conferences will have played at least one game by Wednesday night, and the race for the playoffs officially begins.

Wednesday’s slate represents the true opening of the NBA regular season in scope — a 13-game night covering every time zone, every conference rival, and every contender and challenger in the league. Set your reminders now.

Every NBA Team Is Ready at Pro Merch

The Pro Merch NBA collection covers all 30 franchises — the Cavaliers, Knicks, Timberwolves, Lakers, and every other team tipping off this week. Licensed gear for every fanbase, ready to ship before the first jump ball.

Shop All 30 NBA Teams

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