- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The 2026-27 NBA regular season begins Tuesday, concluding a 128-day offseason with an opening day triple-header that includes an afternoon contest.
Detroit hosts the league's first game when the Pistons face the Celtics at 2:00 pm CT. The evening doubleheader features the Sixers at the Knicks at 6:00 pm CT, followed by the Spurs against the Thunder at 8:30 pm CT.
Rosters are nearly set across the league, with 519 players holding contracts for 540 available spots. That total includes 433 standard contracts and 86 two-way deals, leaving 17 openings on 15-man rosters. The Mavericks, Timberwolves, Kings and Raptors each have one two-way slot still available.
Financially, the Nuggets stand as the only team above the second tax apron. Six clubs sit above the first apron, six are in the luxury tax and 17 fall below the tax line. The Nets are the sole team with cap room, approximately $4.9 million.
Several contract deadlines loom this week. Ben Simmons of the Kings has his full minimum salary guaranteed after suffering an Achilles tear. Nick Richards of the Heat, Jaylen Wells of the Grizzlies and Vit Krejci of the Trail Blazers will see their salaries become fully guaranteed if not waived. Meanwhile, Tony Bradley of the Jazz, James Wiseman of the Knicks and Anthony Gill of the Wizards have Exhibit 9 contracts converting to standard non-guaranteed minimum deals. Minimum-salary contracts signed Tuesday will count as full-season salaries, while those signed Wednesday or later will be prorated.
Source: Hoops Rumors - Tue Oct 20, 8:40 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).