We’re still over two months away from the NBA’s 2025-26 regular season tipping off, but the hype train’s left the station with the release of the schedule. Let’s dive into all 82 games and give fans a glimpse of what’s to come for their Brooklyn Nets…
Key dates
Sept. 29: NBA Training Camp opens for the Brooklyn Nets
Oct. 10 & 12: 2025 Preseason: NBA China Games | Nets vs. Suns | The Venetian Arena in Macao
Oct. 21: Start of the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season – Opening Night
Dec. 9-10: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Knockout Rounds (Quarterfinals)
Dec. 13: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Semifinals (Las Vegas, NV)
Dec. 16: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Championship (Las Vegas, NV)
Feb. 5: NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)
Feb. 13-15: 2026 NBA All-Star in Los Angeles, CA
April 12: Regular season ends
Top matchups
Fri. Oct. 10 and Sun. Oct. 12 against the Phoenix Suns – NBA China Games
The borough continues to go global as Brooklyn kicks off its preseason as one of the NBA’s two representatives in their China Games, taking place over two nights in Macao. Just one and a half seasons after their massive blockbuster trade, these two teams meet without the major players they swapped, but with refreshed and intriguing rosters ready to hit the court.
Wed. Oct. 22 @ Charlotte Hornets
The 2025-26 Nets regular season opens on the road as they take on LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and the upstart Hornets. This should be a winnable and exciting game for Brooklyn against another rebuilding team in the conference.
Fri. Oct. 24 vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Their home opener takes place a couple days later against a much stronger foe, as the reigning top-seeded Cavs led by Donovan Mitchell (and former Net Jarrett Allen) come to town.
Mon. Oct. 27 @ Houston Rockets
The Nets face Kevin Durant in his (latest) new uniform for the first time when they travel south to Houston early in the season.
Mon. Dec. 29 vs Golden State Warriors
When Stephen Curry visits, you know you’re going to get a show.
Sun. Jan. 4 vs Denver Nuggets
It’s always special to watch one of the best NBA players of his era come to Barclays to perform, and Nikola Jokic is as generational as they come. The Nets faithful also get to see Cameron Johnson return for the first time in a Denver uniform.
Tue. Feb. 3 v Los Angeles Lakers
In what could be one of his final visits to Barclays, LeBron James comes to Brooklyn alongside star Luka Doncic.
Tue. Feb. 24 vs Dallas Mavericks
Number one overall pick Cooper Flagg makes his professional Barclays Center debut, alongside former Net Kyrie Irving, making his second return to Brooklyn.
NBA Cup games
Fri. Nov. 7 vs Detroit Pistons
Fri. Nov. 14 @ Orlando Magic
Fri. Nov. 21 @ Boston Celtics
Fri. Nov. 28 vs Philadelphia 76ers
Easiest stretches
Brooklyn has a pretty soft December, opening it up against Charlotte at home, Chicago on the road, Utah at home and New Orleans at home. They then take off for the NBA Cup Tournament or a mid-season reprieve, to come back and face the Heat and Raptors at home.
The Nets’ best stretch of games comes down the stretch of their season, timely if they’re in the Play-In hunt. Beginning Sun. Mar. 29, they get a six-game home stint featuring Sacramento, Charlotte, Atlanta, Washington, Milwaukee and Indiana.
Toughest stretches
Brooklyn has to suffer through a pretty brutal winter, beginning Dec. 23 when they take on Philly then Minny on the road before going home to play Golden State.
They then have a back-to-back beginning on New Year’s day against the Rockets and at the Wizards, before playing the Nuggets, Magic and Clippers at home and hitting another back-to-back in Memphis and Dallas.
Not two weeks later, the Nets embark on their longest road trip of the season, visiting the Clippers, Suns, Nuggets and Jazz on a back-to-back before flying out to Detroit. They return home to be greeted by LeBron and the Lakers before taking off to play the Magic in Orlando.
Playoff seeding
If the Nets can find themselves in the Play-In race come the home stretch of the season, their last eight games provide them a decent run at making a play. They have to survive a four-game west coast swing against the Kings, Blazers, Warriors and Lakers first.
Then they go into their late-season home stand mentioned above before closing the year with road games against the Bucks and Raptors.