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When Do NBA Tickets Go On Sale? 2026-27 Season Dates by Team

When Do NBA Tickets Go On Sale? 2026-27 Season Dates by Team

by TicketScanner Team

Follow upcoming NBA games, including preseason and international games, on TicketScanner’s NBA page.

Key Takeaways

  • The NBA released its 2026-27 schedule on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. The preseason starts Oct. 3, opening night is Tuesday, Oct. 20, and the regular season ends Sunday, April 11, 2027.
  • Each team sets its own single-game on-sale date. Among the 21 teams that announced one, the Pistons and Pelicans sold on schedule day, 11 teams were open to the public by Aug. 15, and the latest announced date is the Thunder’s, Sept. 24.
  • Presales come first: season-ticket members, then fan clubs, text or email lists and card holders. The Warriors and Mavericks ran Chase presales, and the Nets and Jazz ran American Express presales.
  • As of Sept. 14, the Knicks, Bulls, 76ers, Pacers and Thunder had not opened public sales. The Knicks presale started Sept. 14 and the Bulls presale is set for Sept. 15, according to their Ticketmaster listings.

When do NBA tickets go on sale?

NBA single-game tickets go on sale after the league releases its schedule in mid-August, but each of the 30 teams picks its own date. For 2026-27, the schedule came out Aug. 13, 2026, and public on-sales among the 21 teams we verified run, or are scheduled to run, from Aug. 13 to Sept. 24, usually after one or more presales.

So the real answer depends on your team. Eleven of those 21 teams opened to the public within two days of the schedule release. The other 10 opened, or will open, between Aug. 17 and Sept. 24, and a handful of teams are still in their presale phase as of Sept. 14.

When does the NBA schedule come out?

The NBA releases its full schedule in mid-August. The last three releases came on Aug. 15, 2024; Aug. 14, 2025; and Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. The league announced the opening-night tripleheader and the five Christmas Day games two days earlier (Aug. 11).

The 2026-27 schedule set dates and opponents for 80 of each team’s 82 games. The last two games for every team, played Dec. 4-10, depend on NBA Cup Group Play results. The Thunder say theirs will be released after Group Play and the quarterfinals, so tickets for those games are not yet available.

No 2027-28 release date has been announced. If the pattern holds, expect it in mid-August 2027.

The 2026-27 NBA calendar

Date What happens
Aug. 13, 2026 Full regular-season schedule released
Sept. 29 Training camps open
Oct. 3 Preseason opens: Raptors vs. Heat in Quebec City
Oct. 16 Final preseason games (12-game slate)
Tue., Oct. 20 Opening night: Celtics at Pistons, 76ers at Knicks, Thunder at Spurs
Oct. 30 to Nov. 27 NBA Cup Group Play (every Friday, plus Nov. 24 and 25)
Nov. 7 Nuggets vs. Pacers in Mexico City
Dec. 4-5 NBA Cup quarterfinals
Dec. 8-9 NBA Cup semifinals, at the higher seed’s arena
Fri., Dec. 11 NBA Cup Championship, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Dec. 25 Five Christmas Day games
Jan. 14 and 17, 2027 Spurs vs. Pelicans in Paris, then Manchester
Feb. 19-21, 2027 All-Star Weekend in Phoenix
Sun., April 11, 2027 Regular season ends
April 13-16, 2027 Play-In Tournament, then the playoffs

NBA single game tickets on sale: 2026-27 dates by team

We checked all 30 teams’ announcements. Twenty-one gave a public on-sale date, four gave partial information, and for five (Celtics, Raptors, Nuggets, Suns and Clippers) we found no team statement confirming a date. Times are local to each team’s market. Where a team named no presale, the table says so; that does not mean none happened.

Already open to the public

Team Public on-sale, 2026 Presales the team announced
Detroit Pistons Thu., Aug. 13 (on sale with the schedule) None
New Orleans Pelicans Thu., Aug. 13 (on sale with the schedule) None
Brooklyn Nets Fri., Aug. 14, 10 a.m. American Express card members from Aug. 13
Miami Heat Fri., Aug. 14, 3 p.m. None (preseason games already on sale)
Milwaukee Bucks Fri., Aug. 14, 12 p.m. None
Orlando Magic Fri., Aug. 14, 1 p.m. None in the team release
Houston Rockets Fri., Aug. 14, 2 p.m. Season ticket members Aug. 14, Rockets Insider at noon
San Antonio Spurs Fri., Aug. 14, 10 a.m. Official Spurs Fan Club, Aug. 13, 3 p.m.
Portland Trail Blazers Fri., Aug. 14, 10 a.m. PT Season ticket members and early-access signups, Aug. 13
Sacramento Kings Fri., Aug. 14, noon Text-list presale (text PRESALE to 916-775-8500)
Charlotte Hornets Sat., Aug. 15, 10 a.m. None
Washington Wizards Not stated by the team Early access from Aug. 13 with offer code WIZ26
Utah Jazz Mon., Aug. 17, noon MT Amex Aug. 14, 10 a.m. MT; Jazz Insider texts Aug. 17, 9 a.m. MT
Cleveland Cavaliers Wed., Aug. 19, 9 a.m. ET Cavs United Aug. 17; Cavs Rewards Aug. 18
Atlanta Hawks Mon., Aug. 24, 10 a.m. Hawks Insider Aug. 20; opening night and select games from Aug. 13
Los Angeles Lakers Wed., Aug. 26, 10 a.m. PT None
Golden State Warriors Thu., Aug. 27, 4 p.m. Season ticket holders, Dub Club and Chase Aug. 26; Warriors Insiders Aug. 27
Memphis Grizzlies Tue., Sept. 1, 10 a.m. CT MVPs Aug. 31, 10 a.m.
Dallas Mavericks Thu., Sept. 10, noon CT Chase cardholders Sept. 10, 10-11:59 a.m. CT
Minnesota Timberwolves Thu., Sept. 10, 12 p.m. CT None in the team release

Still to come (as of Sept. 14)

Team Public on-sale What we could verify
New York Knicks Not announced by the team Presale began Sept. 14, 10 a.m. ET on Ticketmaster listings
Chicago Bulls “Mid-September” Presale Sept. 15, 10 a.m. CT on Ticketmaster listings; select October and November games sold Aug. 13-16
Indiana Pacers Wed., Sept. 16, 2 p.m. Presale access by texting TICKETS to 727-722 or joining Pacers Insider
Oklahoma City Thunder Thu., Sept. 24, 10 a.m. October, November and December home games only
Philadelphia 76ers “September 2026” Presale access through the Sixthman newsletter or SMS alerts

A late on-sale date doesn’t necessarily indicate low demand. The Knicks are the defending champions and the Thunder have the reigning two-time MVP, yet both are among the last to open. The Thunder are also releasing games in chunks rather than all at once.

Most teams in these tables sell through Ticketmaster. The Cavaliers, Jazz and Pelicans use SeatGeek, and the Timberwolves sell through their own app and website.

How the on-sale order works

Where teams run presales, the usual order is season members first, then people on the team’s lists, then the public.

NBA season tickets and memberships

Season tickets go on sale before the schedule exists. The Pistons announced their 2026-27 membership lineup on July 28, 2026, including upper-level memberships starting at $26 per ticket, per game, with playoff ticket priority, and lower-level quarter-season plans from $650 ($65 per game). The Pistons said the remaining games in those plans would be confirmed once the schedule came out.

Membership also buys a head start on extra single-game seats. The Warriors opened sales at 10 a.m. on Aug. 26 to season ticket holders only, and the Rockets and Trail Blazers also gave season ticket members the first presale window.

Presales and presale codes

Presales run in waves. The Warriors are a clear example: season ticket holders at 10 a.m. Aug. 26, Dub Club members and Valkyries and Santa Cruz Warriors season ticket holders at noon, Chase cardholders at 2 p.m., Warriors Insiders at 10 a.m. the next day, and the public at 4 p.m. on Aug. 27.

Card presales usually use the card itself as the key. The Mavericks’ Chase window asked buyers to enter the first six digits of their Chase card as the promo code, and the Hawks announced the same method for their Chase presale. Other teams tie access to a list: the Kings, Jazz and Pacers use text lists, and the Hawks, Rockets and Warriors use “Insider” signups.

On Ticketmaster, you enter a presale code through the button next to Filters on the event page. Ticketmaster says codes come from team email lists and card programs such as Chase and Citi, while adding a team to your Ticketmaster Favorites gets you notified of upcoming sales. It also says a code does not promise you a seat, since a presale allotment can sell out.

NBA Cup tickets

Most NBA Cup games are sold like any other home game. The league’s Cup FAQ says tickets for Group Play, quarterfinals and semifinals are sold “directly through the host team’s ticketing provider.” Group Play games are part of each team’s regular schedule, so they are sold with that team’s single-game tickets.

The semifinals change this season. In 2025, the semifinals and final were both played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Starting in 2026-27, each semifinal is played at the higher seed’s home arena, so those tickets will come from that team, on short notice, after the quarterfinals.

The championship is the exception. The Dec. 11 final at 9,100-seat Hinkle Fieldhouse is sold by the league, and premium packages are already on sale through NBA Experiences. NBAEvents.com now lists general tickets for the championship going on sale Oct. 1. The league had earlier said “this fall” (in its June announcement) and “August” (in its Cup FAQ). Register at NBAEvents.com to get ticket alerts before the sale.

NBA playoff tickets on sale

Playoff tickets go on sale in spring, often before a team knows its opponent. Ticketmaster says they typically go on sale in April, when a team clinches a playoff spot.

The Spurs’ 2026 sale shows how early that can be. Season ticket members got access at 10 a.m. April 1, Spurs Fan Club members at noon, and the public at 10 a.m. April 2, for the first two home games of a first-round series. The regular season did not end until April 12. Sales were limited to buyers within 150 miles of the arena, with a maximum of four tickets per order. The Spurs opened second-round sales on April 29, 2026, before game dates were set.

For 2027, the Play-In Tournament is scheduled for April 13-16, after the regular season ends April 11. Expect playoff tickets in April, once a team clinches, sometimes in the first days of the month.

International games follow their own calendar

Games outside the U.S. are sold through the league’s event channels, not the usual team on-sale. Tickets for the Nov. 7 Nuggets-Pacers game in Mexico City went to Banco Azteca cardholders May 25-26, to registered fans May 27-28, and to the public May 29.

The two European games use a Ticketmaster ballot. Selected fans for the Jan. 14 Paris game get a code, and that sale opens Sept. 15 at 12 p.m. CEST. The Manchester sale opens Sept. 17 at 12 p.m. BST, and ballot entry has closed.

What to do now (mid-September)

For most teams, single-game tickets are on sale through the team’s primary seller. Check your team’s single-game page first; if the team is still in its presale phase, join its text or email list now.

Resale is the other route, and it runs next to the primary sale. The Warriors run a team resale marketplace with Ticketmaster for regular-season and playoff games, and Ticketmaster offers fan-to-fan resale for NBA games. Other resale marketplaces list the same games with their own inventory and fee rules. Compare the total price including mandatory fees, taxes and delivery. Some teams, including the Warriors, show fee-inclusive prices from the first screen.

A few more things to watch:

  • The two TBD games per team (Dec. 4-10) are set after Group Play ends Nov. 27, and the Thunder say theirs come after the quarterfinals, so watch for them in late November and early December.
  • General tickets for the NBA Cup Championship are listed to go on sale Oct. 1 at NBAEvents.com.
  • If your team is chasing a Cup semifinal, sales will move fast after the Dec. 4-5 quarterfinals.

TicketScanner does not yet track prices for 2026-27 NBA regular-season games, so we have no NBA price history to share. For how resale prices moved as games approached in other leagues, see do tickets get cheaper closer to the game. For on-sale timing in other sports, see our guides to NHL, NFL and MLB tickets.

FAQ

When do NBA tickets go on sale for the 2026-27 season?

It depends on the team. The schedule came out Aug. 13, 2026. The Pistons and Pelicans sold that day, most teams opened between Aug. 14 and Aug. 27, and the Pacers (Sept. 16) and Thunder (Sept. 24) are among the last.

When does the NBA schedule come out?

In mid-August. The 2026-27 schedule was released Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, after releases on Aug. 14, 2025, and Aug. 15, 2024. The opening-night and Christmas Day games were announced two days earlier (Aug. 11).

Are NBA single game tickets on sale now?

For most teams, yes. As of Sept. 14, 2026, 20 teams had confirmed public sales or early access, while the Knicks, Bulls, 76ers, Pacers and Thunder were still to come.

When do NBA Cup tickets go on sale?

Group Play, quarterfinal and semifinal tickets come from the host team. Group Play games are sold with each team’s single-game tickets. General tickets for the Dec. 11 championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse are listed to go on sale Oct. 1 at NBAEvents.com, where you can register for alerts; premium packages are on sale now.

When do NBA playoff tickets go on sale?

Usually in April, once a team clinches, sometimes in the first days of the month. The Spurs sold first-round home tickets to the public on April 2, 2026, 10 days before the regular season ended, with presales for season members and fan club members on April 1.

Browse upcoming NBA games on TicketScanner’s NBA page.

Sources

  • https://www.nba.com/news/2026-27-nba-regular-season-schedule (schedule released Aug. 13, 2026; opening night Oct. 20 tripleheader; 80 of 82 games defined, two games Dec. 4-10 set by Cup Group Play; Group Play 60 games on Fridays Oct. 30-Nov. 27 plus Nov. 24-25; quarterfinals Dec. 4-5, semifinals Dec. 8 and/or 9, championship Dec. 11; season ends April 11, 2027; five Christmas Day games; tickets at NBATickets.com)
  • https://www.nba.com/news/key-dates (training camps Sept. 29; preseason begins Oct. 3 with Toronto vs. Miami in Quebec City; Mexico City Nov. 7; Paris Jan. 14 and Manchester Jan. 17; All-Star Feb. 19-21 in Phoenix; regular season ends April 11; Play-In April 13-16)
  • https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-2026-27-schedule-release-key-dates-knicks-76ers-spurs-thunder-lebron-james-giannis-antetokounmpo/ (full schedule unveiled Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026)
  • https://www.nba.com/news/nba-schedule-season-opener-2026-27 (opening-night tripleheader announced Aug. 11, 2026, before the full schedule)
  • https://www.nba.com/news/nba-on-christmas-day-schedule-2026-27 (five Christmas Day games announced Aug. 11, 2026, before the full schedule)
  • https://pr.nba.com/2025-26-nba-regular-season-schedule (2025-26 schedule released Aug. 14, 2025)
  • https://pr.nba.com/2024-25-nba-regular-season-schedule (2024-25 schedule released Aug. 15, 2024)
  • https://www.nba.com/news/nba-canada-games-2026-official-release (Raptors vs. Heat in Quebec City on Oct. 3; Canada games on sale Aug. 20)
  • https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2026/09/and-ones-nba-preseason-team-owners-g-league-trade-more.html (preseason opens Oct. 3 and wraps up with a 12-game slate Oct. 16)
  • https://www.nba.com/pistons/news/detroit-pistons-announce-2026-27-season-schedule-presented-by-ticketmaster (Pistons single-game tickets on sale with the schedule)
  • https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/2026-27-regular-season-schedule-release-new-orleans-pelicans (Pelicans tickets on sale now, via SeatGeek)
  • https://yesnetwork.com/brooklyn-nets-announce-2026-27-season-schedule/ (Nets public on-sale Aug. 14, 10 a.m.; American Express presale)
  • https://www.nba.com/heat/news/heat-announce-2026-27-regular-season-schedule (Heat public on-sale Aug. 14, 3 p.m.; preseason already on sale)
  • https://www.nba.com/bucks/news/milwaukee-bucks-announce-2026-27-regular-season-schedule (Bucks on sale Aug. 14, 12 p.m.)
  • https://www.nba.com/magic/news/orlando-magic-2026-27-regular-season-schedule-released-20260813 (Magic on sale Aug. 14, 1 p.m.)
  • https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets-announce-schedule-for-2026-27-nba-season (Rockets season ticket member presale Aug. 14, Insider presale at noon, public 2 p.m.)
  • https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/san-antonio-spurs-announce-2026-27-season-schedule (Spurs public on-sale Aug. 14, 10 a.m.; Fan Club presale Aug. 13, 3 p.m.)
  • https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/trail-blazers-announce-2026-27-regular-season-schedule-presented-by-toyota (Trail Blazers presale Aug. 13; public Aug. 14, 10 a.m. PT)
  • https://www.nba.com/kings/news/kings-announce-2026-27-regular-season-schedule (Kings on sale Aug. 14 at noon; text-list presale)
  • https://www.nba.com/hornets/news/charlotte-hornets-announce-2026-27-regular-season-schedule (Hornets public on-sale Aug. 15, 10 a.m.)
  • https://www.nba.com/wizards/news/wizards-announce-2026-27schedule (Wizards early access from Aug. 13 with code WIZ26)
  • https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-announce-2026-27-regular-season-schedule (Jazz Amex presale Aug. 14; Insider presale and public on-sale Aug. 17; SeatGeek)
  • https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/releases-ticket-on-sale-260813 (Cavaliers presales Aug. 17-18; public Aug. 19, 9 a.m. ET; SeatGeek)
  • https://www.nba.com/hawks/news/atlanta-hawks-to-host-houston-rockets-on-opening-night-presented-by-state-farm-on-saturday-oct-24 (Hawks remaining single-game tickets Aug. 24, 10 a.m.; Insider presale Aug. 20; opening night on sale Aug. 13)
  • https://www.nba.com/lakers/news/lakers-announce-26-27-schedule (Lakers public on-sale Aug. 26, 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster)
  • https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/warriors-single-game-tickets-for-the-2026-27-nba-season-available-wednesday-during-exclusive-presale-events-20260826 (Warriors presale sequence Aug. 26-27; public Aug. 27, 4 p.m.; fee-inclusive pricing; team resale marketplace with Ticketmaster)
  • https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/memphis-grizzlies-announce-202627-regular-season-schedule (Grizzlies MVP presale Aug. 31; public Sept. 1, 10 a.m.)
  • https://www.nba.com/mavs/tickets/single (Mavericks Chase presale Sept. 10, 10-11:59 a.m. CT; first six digits of card as promo code)
  • https://dallassportsjournal.com/dallas-mavericks-tickets-2026-27-single-game-sales-chase/ (Mavericks public sale at noon CT Sept. 10)
  • https://texasmetronews.com/131550/dallas-mavericks-unveil-2026-27-theme-nights-anime-star-wars-nights-highlight-the-schedule/ (Mavericks Chase access at 10 a.m., all fans at 12 p.m.)
  • https://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/timberwolves-single-game-tickets-on-sale-today-sept-10-at-12-p-m (Timberwolves public on-sale Sept. 10, 12 p.m. CT; team app and website)
  • https://www.ticketmaster.com/new-york-knicks-tickets/artist/805988?home_away=home (Knicks home games presale Sept. 14, 2026, 10 a.m. EDT)
  • https://www.ticketmaster.com/chicago-bulls-tickets/artist/805914?home_away=home (Bulls home games presale Sept. 15, 2026, 10 a.m. CDT)
  • https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/chicago-bulls-announce-schedule-for-2026-27-regular-season (select October and November games on sale until Aug. 16; full on-sale in mid-September)
  • https://www.nba.com/pacers/tickets/single-game (Pacers single-game tickets on sale Sept. 16 at 2 p.m.; text or Insider presale)
  • https://www.nba.com/thunder/news/release-schedule-260813 (Thunder October-December games on sale Sept. 24, 10 a.m.; two TBD games released after Cup Group Stage and quarterfinals)
  • https://www.nba.com/sixers/tickets/single-game (76ers single-game tickets released in September 2026; Sixthman newsletter and SMS presale)
  • https://www.nba.com/pistons/news/detroit-pistons-announce-expanded-membership-package-offerings-for-2026-27-nba-season (Pistons memberships announced July 28, 2026; upper-level from $26 per game with playoff priority; quarter plans from $650)
  • https://help.ticketmaster.com/hc/en-us/articles/9702132309905-How-do-presales-work (code entry next to the Filters button; codes do not ensure tickets)
  • https://help.ticketmaster.com/hc/en-us/articles/9670692314897-Where-do-I-get-a-presale-or-offer-code (codes from team email lists and Chase and Citi card programs; Favorites for notifications of upcoming sales)
  • https://www.nba.com/news/nba-cup-frequently-asked-questions (Group Play, quarterfinal and semifinal tickets through host team’s ticketing provider; championship general tickets “in August”; NBAEvents.com registration)
  • https://pr.nba.com/nba-cup-semifinal-host-sites-coachs-challenge-rules (semifinals move to higher seed’s home arena starting 2026-27; championship the only neutral-site game)
  • https://pr.nba.com/emirates-nba-cup-2025-tickets-las-vegas (2025 semifinals and championship at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas)
  • https://www.nba.com/news/hinkle-fieldhouse-to-host-emirates-nba-cup-2026-championship (June 30, 2026: championship Dec. 11 at 9,100-seat Hinkle Fieldhouse; public on-sale “this fall”; NBA Experiences packages on sale)
  • https://nbaevents.nba.com/emirates-nba-cup (“TICKETS ON SALE OCTOBER 1st” for the Dec. 11 championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse; ticket alert sign-up; checked Sept. 14, 2026)
  • https://blog.ticketmaster.com/nba-ticket-buyers-guide/ (playoff tickets typically go on sale in April when a team clinches; Verified Resale)
  • https://blog.ticketmaster.com/nba-faqs/ (fan-to-fan resale of verified NBA tickets on Ticketmaster; Finals in June)
  • https://www.sacurrent.com/arts/sports-and-recreation/san-antonio-spurs-playoff-tickets-go-on-sale-this-thursday/ (Spurs 2026 playoff presales April 1, public April 2 at 10 a.m.; 150-mile radius; four per order; season ends April 12)
  • https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/04/29/spurs-announce-second-round-playoff-ticket-sales-fan-experiences-for-home-games/ (Spurs second-round tickets on sale April 29, 2026; dates not yet announced)
  • https://pr.nba.com/nuggets-pacers-nba-mexico-city-game-2026/ (Mexico City game Nov. 7; Banco Azteca May 25-26, registered presale May 27-28, public May 29)
  • https://nbaevents.nba.com/paris/en/faqs (Paris game ballot; sale opens Sept. 15, 2026, 12 p.m. CEST; Ticketmaster only)
  • https://nbaevents.nba.com/manchester/faqs (Manchester sale opens Sept. 17 at 12 p.m. BST; ballot closed)

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