New season NBA Cup groups announced! Lakers, Warriors, and Spurs in same group; champion to be decided on December 12

On July 1, Beijing time, the NBA officially confirmed that the group stage (Oct 31 – Nov 28), quarterfinals (Dec 5–6), and semifinals (Dec 9–10) of the 2026 NBA Cup will all take place in the home cities of the participating NBA teams.

The championship game (December 12) will move to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the iconic home court of Butler University.

All 30 NBA teams, based on their 2025-26 regular season records, were randomly drawn within their respective conferences into groups of five teams each. The group assignments are as follows——

Western Conference

Group A: Nuggets, Rockets, Suns, Mavericks, Jazz

Group B: Thunder, Timberwolves, Clippers, Pelicans, Grizzlies

Group C: Spurs, Lakers, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Kings

Eastern Conference

Group A: Pistons, Raptors, Magic, Bucks, Nets

Group B: Knicks, Cavaliers, 76ers, Heat, Pacers

Group C: Celtics, Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Wizards

Starting October 31, all 30 NBA teams will compete in the NBA Cup; eight teams will advance from the group stage to the knockout rounds, and the championship final will be held on December 12 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis!

Last season's NBA Cup champion was the Knicks, who also went on to win the overall championship.