The 2026 season is finally here and what a summer was to be had for the most dramatic league in professional sports but that’s why we love it I suppose. As it has regularly happened every five or six years, we are all subjected to the dramatics of a LeBron James summer where he decides to go in free agency. Although this one had a liitttttleeee less gravity to it given that he is 41 years old now and maybe has one or two seasons left in him but nonetheless he still continues to amaze and surprise us all with his consistent performance. LeBron’s move to Philly was just one of the many moves that headlined the summer for the NBA and has led to a highly anticipated season with talent emerging in familiar and not so familiar spots. Let’s jump into the opening week of the 2026-27 NBA season.
Opening Week:
Celtics vs Pistons
Opening day is starting a little earlier this year and It’s a little puzzling as to why they are switching it up from the usual start times. At 3 pm eastern, the Celtics are squaring off with the Pistons in Detroit which is just WEIRD? In Detroit it will be around 2 pm I believe when tip off gets underway but don’t people have JOBS? I genuinely would like to understand what was going on in Adam Silver's oddly shaped head and the rest of the people in charge of scheduling. I’m not going to complain about a third game on opening day compared to the two we usually get but it’s just a bit weird to be starting this early. I know I’ll be tracking from my phone and I’m almost positive a whole lot of people will be as well because it’s IN THE MIDDLE OF A TUESDAY. I'm curious to see what the crowd will look like in Detroit but I'd be very impressed if that arena is packed out. Regarding the matchup, It’ll be a great first look at both teams as they are expected to be top competitors in the eastern conference and could very well see each again come playoff time.
The Celtics will be stepping onto the floor for the first time since 2015 without the services of Jaylen Brown and are looking at a team that orbits around their star, Jayson Tatum. After coming back from an achilles injury that kept him sidelined for a good portion of the 2025 season, Tatum is looking to remind people why he is one of the more elite scorers in the NBA. Amongst those elite scorers, there will be one at the other end of the floor in tomorrow's afternoon matinee and his name is Cade Cunningham. Coming off a season where he was second in the league in assists, there are still plenty of leaps to make for this star and what he is able to accomplish. The headline for this game will be between the two stars, Tatum and Cunningham, but the real story of this matchup will be how their newly acquired cast members around them can contribute when it matters most.
76ers vs Knicks
Starting at the NORMAL time of an opening night game at 7 pm eastern, the madness of the New York City will make its short revival as the championship banner is raised in Madison Square Garden when the newly pimped out Philadelphia 76ers will be taking on the New York Knicks. About 30 minutes prior to tip off I believe is when the championship rings are being handed out in celebratory fashion and the grand reveal of the 2026 finals banner. It’ll actually be a very cool moment for New York City and all of the Knick fans for this has a moment that’s been longly awaited. MSG will more than likely be at maximum capacity for this highly anticipated night and the Knicks will be ready to play.
The starting five from New York that brought home the Larry O’Brien finals will be making its return to the floor for the first time since June and are more than prepared to defend the throne. Their first test? LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers. We will be getting our first look at James and Jaylen Brown in a Sixers uniform on opening night while they make their debuts alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J Edgecomb. Prepare yourselves for an extreme flow of overreactions from this game.
Thunder vs Spurs
My personal favorite of the night that will be following right after the headliner in New York City–the Oklahoma City Thunder visiting the San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 pm eastern. This one is just going to be SO FUN. MM MM MMM! TASTY! Our last sight of these two teams against each other was with the Spurs walking out of Chesapeake arena in Oklahoma City and punching their ticket to the NBA Finals, leaving the fans of OKC in shock and disappointment. Now the time for revenge has come for the Thunder after a long 4 months waiting for their shot at the Spurs.
The Thunder chose to part ways with the longer tenured players on their bench by countering with the trust and dedication they are putting into the trio of Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain and Cason Wallace who will all be a huge factor towards their success this season. For the Spurs, their roster remained mostly intact but with additions through the draft and the signing of the somewhat reliable but not much when it matters most, Tobias Harrias.
It’s always a cage fight when the Thunder and Spurs meet and it’s hard to believe it's not taken personally. The back to back MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will be coming into San Antonio with a chip on his shoulder while the Victor Wembanyama and Spurs who have an appetite for destruction–are ready to prove that the western conference runs through them.
Some of the other headlining games from this opening week include the Minnesota Timberwolves visiting the Miami Heat on Wednesday night as we get to see the debuts of Lamelo Ball and Giannis Antetokounmpo in their new squads. Chicago and Toronto joining that Wednesday night slate will be a sneaky good one with Kawhi returning back to Toronto and Caleb Wilson stepping under the bright lights of the association.
Friday Night will be a loaded one with the Knicks visiting Boston in a 2025 eastern conference finals rematch and getting to see Jayson Tatum get his highly anticipated season under way. Followed right after will be a western conference showdown between the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs that should be a great kickstarter to the season.
Football is still rolling strong in the states but if you're a freak like me, you’ll be watching the Spurs visit the Mavericks Saturday night.
2026 Award predictions
Most valuable player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Three in a row would be a pretty preettttyyyy impressive feature, putting him in the elite company of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlin and Larry Bird. Coming off back to back seasons of taking home the award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has no intentions of slowing down to add to his growing list of achievements. Making it three seasons now of averaging 30 points or more, if the OKC guard were to make it a fourth straight season, he would be finding himself amongst Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Feels like the lists that he has been on the verge of joining, if not joined already, are putting him amongst some of the greats.
Defensive player of the year: Victor Wembanyama
It’s becoming overwhelmingly clear that Victor Wembanyama's run of defensive domination is just beginning by taking home his first award last season. Becoming the youngest player in league history to be awarded defensive player of the year, Wembanyama will be sure to bring home another one this season with his hunger for achievement only growing more and more.
Rookie of the year: Caleb Wilson
Oh what a fun time it is going to be this season watching Caleb Wilson fly all over the court in Chicago. Coming out of the University of North Carolina at the fourth overall pick in the 2026 draft, he is ready to give this Bulls team something to look forward to. Having his college experience cut short to a broken thumb, Wilson finished his season averaging 19 points per game along with 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks. You could tell from the summer league action in Vegas that he is ready to get back out on the floor and compete by offering up his incredible athleticism that affects both ends of the court.
Most improved player: Brandon Miller
The keys are officially in Brandon Miller's hands with the departure of LaMelo Ball and the front office in Charlotte is putting their trust in the former 2nd overall pick. Miller has been consistently good since entering the league in 2023–averaging around 19 PPG on 43% shooting from the field. This season is going to be so huge for him with his usage rate and being able to have the ball in his hands more. I find it hard to believe Charlotte wouldn’t have traded Ball if they felt like Brandon Miller wasn’t ready to take on more of a role for this up and coming Hornets team. It’ll be exciting to watch him take another leap in becoming a star and giving Charlotte a real chance in a loaded eastern conference.
Coach of the year: Micah Nori
With last year's award going to Joe Muzzala from the Boston Celtics for what he was able to do with a team that was missing its star, he was able to still produce a highly efficient and competitive team. This year the award will be going to the first year head coach, Micah Nori, who is making his debut with the Portland Trailblazers. They have been working on creating a real competitive environment with the pieces that have been slowly coming together over the last few years and I think with Nori’s experience that he is bringing over from Minnesota–it’ll push this team over the edge. Micah spent the last 4 seasons with the Timberwolves who have had tremendous success and he was a huge contribution to that. This will be his first head coaching gig in the NBA and he couldn’t be walking into a more better situation with the Trailblazers.
6th man of the year: Payton Prichard
This just feels like a gimme right? I mean already taking home the award once in 2025, Prichard is only continuing to improve his game every single season and his opportunities are growing more and more with how much the Celtics believe in him. Coming into his 7th season now in Boston and recently signed to a 2 year $44 million extension, his time as a Celtic won’t be ending anytime soon. They really trust this guy to be one of more well equipped players on this roster to come off the bench and provide that spark on offense and keep the team involved in games when Tatum steps off the court. Prichard was provided more playing time last season as he was logging around 32 minutes a game and made use of it too–making it a career high for him in points at 17 per game. He’s one of the most reliable scorers the NBA has to offer, his game is smooth and he competes at a high level every single night.
Clutch Player of the year: Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards has been one of the more reliable scorers down the stretch of close games and he can call his own number better than anyone else in the league. Finishing as a candidate for this award last season, this will be the season that he will take home the award. Edwards continues to impress every single season with his jaw dropping performances and his desire to crush teams single handedly. His appetite for proving he is one of the league's best is never satisfied and that’s what makes him so good. He will once again be the reason why the Timberwolves find themselves in championship conversations.
New faces in different places
Okay so per usual in the association, we are starting the NBA season with players that are being sent all over the country and it’s my job to remind YOU where everybody went without feeling left behind. Let’s get to work!
LaMelo Ball and Johnathan Kuminga to the Minnesota Timberwolves
LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis Jr and Klay Thompson to the Miami Heat
Ja Morant to the Portland Trailblazers
Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors
Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets
Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets
Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks
Paul George, Mike Conley and Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics
Nic Claxton and Norman Powell to the Chicago Bulls
Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Zaccharie Risacher to the Dallas Mavericks
DeMar Derozan to the Denver Nuggets
John Collins and Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons
Bogdan Bogdanović to the Houston Rockets
Kelly Oubre Jr. to the Indiana Pacers
Gradey Dick, Rui Hachimura and Brandon Ingram to the Los Angeles Clippers
Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Walker Kessler Jr and Sandro Mamukelashvili to the Los Angeles Lakers
Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Caris LeVeret and Kel’el Ware to the Milwaukee Bucks
Bennedict Mathurin to the New Orleans Pelicans
Miles Bridges and Luke Kennard to the Phoenix Suns
Tobias Harris to the San Antonio Spurs
PHEW… always so much moving around. I don’t think any other sport moves players around like the NBA does but it’s just a huge part of the excitement–looking forward to seeing how these new players will contribute in their new roles is always fun.
