NBA Cup 2026 Explained: Format, Groups, Dates and Prize Money

8 min read

Last updated November 9, 2026

The NBA Cup turns a few ordinary November nights into must-win games. It is a tournament played inside the regular season, with a trophy, prize money and a winner-take-all final.

The 2026 edition brings big changes, including a new home for the championship game. This guide explains how the NBA Cup works, the groups, the key dates and what to watch.

Key Takeaways

All 30 teams play in the NBA Cup, split into six groups of five.
Group games run on select nights from October 30 to November 27.
Eight teams reach the knockout rounds in early December.
The 2026 final moves from Las Vegas to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on December 11.
The New York Knicks are the defending champions.

Inside this guide

What the NBA Cup is
How the format works
The 2026 groups
Key dates
Tiebreakers
What is new in 2026
Prize money
Past champions
Frequently asked questions

What Is the NBA Cup?

The NBA Cup is an in-season tournament that the league launched in 2023. It borrows an idea from European soccer, where clubs play cup competitions alongside their league season.

The goal is simple. The league wants to add drama to the early months of a long season, when many games can feel routine.

Almost every Cup game also counts in the regular-season standings. So teams chase the trophy without playing many extra games.

30Teams take part in the NBA Cup, split into six groups of five.

How the Format Works

Group play

According to Sports Illustrated, the league drew six groups of five teams in August. Each conference has three groups.

Every team plays each of its four group rivals once. Two of those games are at home and two are on the road.

Who advances

The six group winners move on.
One wild card from each conference also advances.
The wild card is the best second-place team in that conference.
That makes eight teams in the knockout rounds.

Knockout rounds

The knockout stage is single elimination. Lose just once and you are out.

Round	Teams	Where
Quarterfinals	8	Home arena of the higher seed
Semifinals	4	Home arena of the higher seed
Championship	2	Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

Do you watch NBA Cup games more closely than normal games?

Yes, they feel bigger
No, they feel the same
Only the knockout rounds
Not sure

The 2026 NBA Cup Groups

Here are the six groups, as listed by ESPN.

Group	Teams
East A	Detroit, Toronto, Orlando, Milwaukee, Brooklyn
East B	New York, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Miami, Indiana
East C	Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Washington
West A	Denver, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, Utah
West B	Oklahoma City, Minnesota, LA Clippers, New Orleans, Memphis
West C	San Antonio, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland, Golden State, Sacramento

East B looks like the toughest draw in the East. It includes the defending champion Knicks and several playoff teams from last season.

In the West, Group C features a rematch-style setup. The Spurs lost to the Knicks in last year’s final and now share a group with the Lakers and Warriors.

Key Dates for the 2026 NBA Cup

Stage	Dates
Group play opens	Friday, October 30
Group play Fridays	November 6, 13, 20 and 27
Thanksgiving week Cup nights	November 24 and 25
Quarterfinals	December 4 and 5
Semifinals	December 8 and 9
Championship	Friday, December 11

Most group games fall on Fridays, which the league brands as Cup nights. Games during Thanksgiving week give fans extra action before the holiday.

How Tiebreakers Work

With only four group games each, ties happen often. Sports Illustrated lists the order the league uses to break them.

Head-to-head record in group play
Point differential in group play
Total points scored in group play
Record from the previous regular season
A random drawing, if teams are still tied

Point differential is the one to watch. That is why some teams keep pushing late in games they have already won.

A quirk about overtime

Overtime points do not count toward point differential. If a game goes to overtime, both teams get a differential of zero for that game.

Head-to-head does not apply in the wild card race, since second-place teams come from different groups.

A Simple Example of the Wild Card Race

Imagine three second-place teams in the West. Each finished its group with a 3-1 record.

Head-to-head cannot settle it, because they never played each other in group play. So the league looks at point differential next.

Team	Group record	Point differential
Team A	3-1	+31
Team B	3-1	+18
Team C	3-1	+9

In this example, Team A takes the wild card spot. Team B and Team C go home, even with the same record.

This is why one blowout win can matter more than a close one. Every point in group play can count.

Strategy Inside the Cup

Coaches handle Cup games a little differently from normal games. A few habits show up again and again.

Pushing late. Teams that lead big may keep starters in to grow the margin.
Fouling less. Giving up easy points late can hurt point differential.
Watching the scoreboard. Teams track other group results to know what they need.
Managing minutes. Coaches still protect players, since the long season matters most.

Fans should watch the final minutes of lopsided Cup games. They are often more intense than the score suggests.

What Is New in 2026

This is the fourth NBA Cup, and the league has made several changes.

A new final venue. The championship moves from Las Vegas to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Home semifinals. The semifinals now take place at the home arena of the higher seed.
Better spacing. The league moved the semifinals later to avoid back-to-back games.
New awards. The tournament will name a most valuable player and an all-tournament team.

Hinkle Fieldhouse is a famous old arena at Butler University. It seats about 9,100 fans, making it far more intimate than a typical NBA arena.

How the schedule fits together

Each team has 80 games on its normal schedule. The Cup fills in the rest.

The 22 teams that miss the knockout rounds get two extra games in early December.
Teams that lose in the quarterfinals play one more game against each other.
The two finalists play 83 games, but the title game does not count in the standings.

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Prize Money

Players have real money on the line. The league has not announced the 2026 amounts yet, but Sports Illustrated shared the 2025 figures per player.

Result	2025 prize per player
Lose in quarterfinals	$53,093
Lose in semifinals	$106,187
Lose in championship	$212,373
Win the Cup	$530,933

Head coaches earn the same as players. For many players on smaller contracts, a deep run means a big bonus.

Past NBA Cup Champions

Year	Champion	Final score	Most valuable player
2023	Los Angeles Lakers	123-109 over Indiana	LeBron James
2024	Milwaukee Bucks	97-81 over Oklahoma City	Giannis Antetokounmpo
2025	New York Knicks	124-113 over San Antonio	Jalen Brunson

Three different teams have won the first three tournaments. The Knicks will try to become the first repeat champion.

Storylines to Follow

Can the Knicks repeat?

No team has won the NBA Cup twice. The Knicks start in a crowded East B group, so every game counts from the first night.

Early stumbles

ESPN noted that Philadelphia sat at 1-1 in East B after a loss to Cleveland on November 6. One more loss could put the 76ers in a deep hole.

The Lakers lost their opener to Golden State but bounced back by beating Portland. Their Cup hopes are still alive.

A smaller stage for the final

Moving the final to a classic college fieldhouse changes the feel of the event. Fans will see the biggest Cup game in front of a smaller, louder crowd.

New individual awards

For the first time, the league will name a tournament most valuable player and an all-tournament team. Star players now have one more prize to chase.

Group of death debate

Fans argue every year about which group is the hardest. With only one wild card per conference, a strong group can knock out a very good team.

How to Watch

National broadcast partners carry many Cup games, while local networks air others. Check your team’s schedule and local listings for each game.

Streaming options change from season to season. Before a big Friday night, confirm which service carries your team so you do not miss tip-off.

Group games often start in the evening, Eastern Time. West Coast fans may get earlier starts, so always double-check the local start time.

Watching with friends? Many tips from our football watch party guide work just as well for basketball.

Tips for Fans Following the Cup

Bookmark the official group standings and check them after each Friday.
Track point differential, not just wins and losses.
Note the Thanksgiving week games on November 24 and 25.
Plan ahead for the knockout games on December 4 and 5.
Save the evening of Friday, December 11, for the final.

If your team is out of the race, you can still enjoy the knockout rounds. Single-elimination games often deliver the best drama of the early season.

Why the NBA Cup Matters

The Cup gives fans a reason to care about November games. Players say the prize money and the trophy add real intensity.

It also helps teams that might not win a championship in June. A Cup title is a meaningful banner in its own right.

Love learning how sports work? Read our guide to ice hockey rules, or catch up on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Test Yourself

Where is the 2026 NBA Cup championship game?

Las Vegas
New York
Indianapolis

The final moves to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Which tiebreaker comes right after head-to-head record?

Total points scored
Point differential
A random drawing

Point differential is second in line.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do NBA Cup games count in the standings?

Yes, except the championship game.

Who won the 2025 NBA Cup?

The New York Knicks beat the Spurs in the final.

How many teams make the knockout rounds?

Eight teams, six group winners and two wild cards.

When is the 2026 final?

Friday, December 11, in Indianapolis.

Conclusion

The NBA Cup packs high stakes into the early season. Six groups, eight knockout teams and one final decide the winner.

This year the title game heads to historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on December 11. Watch the point differential and the Friday Cup nights to follow the race.

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