2025 NBA Cup: Schedule, format, groups, updates, and more - ESPN

The third iteration of the Emirates NBA Cup is set to start on Halloween night, Oct. 31 — a little over a week after the 2025-26 NBA regular season tips off.

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were able to win the inaugural in-season tournament trophy in 2023, with James claiming the honors of tournament MVP. Last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks raised their NBA Cup banner over the eventual NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

But which team will claim its stake over the hardware in Las Vegas this year, and can it continue that tournament momentum into the postseason?

Here's what you need to know about the in-season tournament, including rule changes for this year and the schedule.

Jump to a section:
FAQ | Schedule

The NBA unveiled the six groups for the third edition of its in-season tournament — now called the Emirates NBA Cup. Here's a look at everything you'll need to know about the return of the competition.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has had a long-standing fascination with European soccer. Establishing an in-season cup competition within the NBA schedule came from soccer leagues having both a regular-season title, won by the team with the most points over the full year, and a separate tournament (or, in some leagues, multiple tournaments) that runs concurrently with the league season. In England, for example, there are the various divisions — led by the Premier League — and also the FA Cup competition. But unlike those European leagues, which play their cup competitions outside of their league schedules, the NBA Cup is built into the regular-season slate. The 30 NBA teams are split into six five-team groups — three featuring Eastern Conference teams, and three comprising