The NBA Cup championship game is moving from Las Vegas to Indianapolis, with the 2026 final scheduled for Friday, Dec. 11 at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. The NBA announced the venue change Wednesday while releasing the complete Group Play schedule for the Emirates NBA Cup 2026.
The tournament will begin with Group Play on Friday, Oct. 30, followed by additional Cup Nights on Nov. 6, Nov. 13, Nov. 20 and Nov. 27. The schedule also includes games on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and Wednesday, Nov. 25, giving all 30 teams four Group Play games.
The NBA divided the field into six groups of five teams, with three groups in each conference:
East A: Detroit, Orlando, Milwaukee, Toronto, Brooklyn
East B: New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Miami, Indiana
East C: Boston, Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington
West A: Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Utah
West B: LA Clippers, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Memphis, New Orleans
West C: LA Lakers, Golden State, San Antonio, Sacramento, Portland
Several Group Play matchups feature teams that reached the 2026 playoffs. The Knicks will open their Cup schedule against Philadelphia on Oct. 30 before visiting Indiana on Nov. 13 and hosting Miami on Nov. 27. Cleveland will play Philadelphia on Nov. 6, Miami on Nov. 13, Indiana on Nov. 20 and New York on Nov. 25.
The 2025-26 season provides a significant backdrop for the tournament. New York finished 53-29, third in the Eastern Conference, before defeating Cleveland in a four-game Eastern Conference Finals sweep and then beating San Antonio 4-1 in the NBA Finals.
The Knicks also won the 2025 NBA Cup, defeating the Spurs in the championship game at T-Mobile Arena. That made New York and San Antonio the first teams to meet in both the NBA Cup championship and NBA Finals during the same season, with the Knicks winning both trophies.
The knockout phase will follow Group Play, with Prime Video streaming all seven games in the Knockout Rounds. The championship will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse, moving the NBA Cup final away from the Las Vegas setting used for the 2025 semifinals and championship.
