The NBA is out with its 2026-27 schedule and the Brooklyn Nets will open at Barclays Center on October 21 vs the Charlotte Hornets. Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET. The two teams opened last season as well with the game in Charlotte.
There will be two nationally scheduled games, same as last year. The Nets will face the Timberwolves on November 23, the return of Julius Randle to the Twin Cities on Peacock and the Bulls on January 20, Nic Claxton’s reunion. With two games, the Nets are one of five teams with the minimum number of nationally televised games. The others are the Pelicans, Bucks, Grizzlies and Kings. By comparison, the Knicks and Lakers will have 34.
As noted Wednesday, the Nets Emirates Cup games will take place October 30 vs. the Pistons; November 20 vs. the Magic, both at home, and the Bucks November 25 and the Raptors on November 27, both away.
The Nets will face their crosstown rivals, the defending NBA champions, four times:
—February 1 at Barclays Center
—April 1 at Barclays Center.
Three of the four will be 7:30 p.m. starts with the December 27 game, a Sunday game, will start at 6:00 p.m. ET
The opening 10 games will be brutal, featuring some of the league’s top teams. In addition to the aforementioned Knicks game at MSG on November 2, the Nets will face the Cavaliers with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell on October 24 in Cleveland; the Pacers with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton on October 25 at home, then again on November 1 in Indianapolis; the Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Paul George on October 27 in Boston and the Mavericks with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving on November 8 in Dallas.
The 76ers with LeBron James, Jaylen, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey will make their Brooklyn debut on November 16. Other superstars making their Brooklyn debut in new uniforms will include Ja Morant with the Trailblazers on December 21, Giannis Antetokounmpo with the Heat on January 7, Kawhi Leonard with the Raptors on January 23.
Victor Wembanyama will play his only game in Brooklyn this season on December 23, Luka Doncic on February 4 and Steph Curry on March 29.
As for rookie clashes, Mikel Brown Jr., the No. 6 pick, will face off against Keaton Wagler of the Clippers, the No. 5 pick on January 29 and Darius Acuff of the Kings, the No. 7 pick on March 21. The overall No. 1 pick, A.J. Dybantsa, will first show up in Brooklyn with the Wizards on December 20.
The Nets will have 16 back-to-backs. They will have two five-game road trips at the end of January and the end of February, both of which will take them to the West Coast. Their longest homestand will take place near the end of the season: seven games from the end of March till the beginning of April.
This story will be updated.