The NBA’s 2026-27 preseason begins Oct. 3 with the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors meeting at Videotron Centre in Quebec City. The exhibition schedule then runs through Oct. 16, giving teams a final two-week evaluation window before the regular season begins.
The leaguewide release adds useful detail to a fall calendar that had previously been announced team by team. It confirms the opening date, the closing slate and the national television windows that will give fans an early look at several contenders.
Quebec City hosts the preseason opener
Miami and Toronto will play the first preseason game on Oct. 3. The matchup is part of the NBA Canada Games and will be the league’s first preseason game in Quebec City. It is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Videotron Centre and will air on NBA TV.
The international setting gives the Raptors another opportunity to reach fans beyond Toronto. It also puts Miami and Toronto on the court before the rest of the league begins its main exhibition schedule.
National broadcasts to watch
Five preseason games are scheduled across ESPN and ESPN2, while Peacock will carry Cleveland against Orlando on Oct. 13. Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers are among the nationally televised matchups on Oct. 16, the final day of the preseason.
Those broadcasts are highlights rather than the complete 30-team schedule. Local listings and team schedule pages remain the best sources for every matchup and regional broadcast because times and television assignments can change.
How the schedule fits around training camp
Players involved in preseason games outside North America may report beginning Sept. 21, and those teams can open camp Sept. 22. Other veteran players may report Sept. 28 before the remaining camps open Sept. 29, according to the NBA Trending season calendar.
The preseason starts four days after the main camp-opening date. It ends Oct. 16, leaving only a short turnaround before the regular season begins. Teams will use that period to evaluate rotations, determine two-way assignments and make final roster decisions.
What fans should take from the release
Preseason results rarely predict the regular season, but the games provide the first public evidence of how new players, coaches and lineup combinations fit together. Minutes restrictions and experimental rotations remain common, so individual roles can be more informative than final scores.
The most important confirmed dates are straightforward: preseason basketball begins Oct. 3 in Quebec City and concludes Oct. 16. The regular season follows days later, making every exhibition a compressed part of the preparation for opening night.