DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks will open Emirates NBA Cup group play at American Airlines Center against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 30.
The NBA released the Cup schedule Wednesday as part of the full 2026-27 schedule announcement. Dallas has two home games and two road games in group play. All times are Central.
- Oct. 30 vs. Houston Rockets, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 6 vs. Utah Jazz, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 24 at Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m. (NBC)
- Nov. 27 at Phoenix Suns, 8 p.m.
The Nov. 24 game in Denver is the only one of the four currently set for a national television window. NBC will carry the matchup with a simulcast on Peacock.
Dallas Mavericks Draw West Group A
Dallas will compete in West Group A with Denver, Houston, Phoenix, and Utah.
The NBA announced the groups July 1 after sorting teams by their 2025-26 records within each conference.
There is a clear split in last year’s results among the five teams. Denver finished 54-28 and placed third in the Western Conference, while Houston was 52-30 and finished fifth. Phoenix went 45-37.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, went 26-56 and finished 12th in the West. Utah was 22-60.
Cup play starts Oct. 30 and continues through Nov. 27. Most games will be played on Fridays, with additional Cup Nights scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 24, and Wednesday, Nov. 25.
Every team gets four group games — two at home and two on the road. The winner of each of the six groups advances to the knockout round. The final two spots go to wild cards, one from each conference, based on the best record among the second-place teams.
Cup games also count toward the regular-season standings, with the championship game being the lone exception.
Dallas Went 1-3 In Last Year’s NBA Cup
The Mavericks did not get out of group play a year ago.
Dallas finished 1-3 in West Group B, beginning with a 118-104 loss at Memphis on Nov. 7. The Mavericks then lost 133-127 in double overtime against the LA Clippers the following week.
Their lone win came Nov. 21, when Dallas beat the New Orleans Pelicans 118-115.
A 129-119 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 28 ended the Mavericks’ Cup schedule.
Houston will be a familiar opponent by the time this year’s group opener arrives. Dallas is scheduled to face the Rockets twice during the preseason in Macao, with games at The Venetian Arena on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11.
Those will be the Mavericks’ first games in China since the 2018-19 preseason.
Dallas then comes back to American Airlines Center for preseason games against New Orleans on Oct. 14 and the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 16. The regular season begins Oct. 20.
NBA Cup Final Moves To Hinkle Fieldhouse
There is also a new destination for teams that make it all the way through the tournament.
The quarterfinals will be played Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 in team markets, with the semifinals set for Dec. 8 and Dec. 9.
The championship game moves to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Dec. 11. It will mark the first time the NBA Cup final has been held outside Las Vegas.
Prime Video will stream each game of the knockout round.
The New York Knicks won the 2025 NBA Cup, beating the San Antonio Spurs in the championship game on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.
The two teams wound up seeing each other again in June. New York beat San Antonio in five games in the 2026 NBA Finals.
Cooper Flagg Enters Second Season With Dallas Mavericks
The Cup will be one of the first early-season tests for a Mavericks team that looks different from the one that finished 26-56 last year.
Cooper Flagg returns after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 70 games as a rookie. The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft won Rookie of the Year and will still be 19 when the season begins. He turns 20 on Dec. 21.
Dallas could also have Kyrie Irving back in the mix after he missed all of last season while recovering from the ACL tear he suffered in March 2025.
There has been major change on the sideline and in the front office as well. Dusty May is entering his first season as an NBA head coach after leading Michigan to the 2026 national championship. Masai Ujiri, the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations, parted with Jason Kidd in May.
Dallas will also go through the upcoming season without a Christmas Day game. The Mavericks were left off the holiday schedule for the first time since 2019 after making six straight Christmas appearances.
