NBA officially unveils format, groups for new in-season tournament - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — The NBA officially unveiled its newly formed in-season tournament and the NBA Cup that teams will claim for winning it at NBA2K24 Summer League on Saturday afternoon. The event is the culmination of a vision NBA commissioner Adam Silver has had for years to bring a European cup-style competition to the league.

«This is a concept that has been rumbling around the league office for around 15 years,» Silver said on a special episode of «NBA Today» from «NBA Con» as part of the league's annual coming together in Las Vegas. «We thought what a perfect opportunity for a global league like the NBA, and it's a perfect fit for our game.

»New traditions take time. But, all throughout sports, we are seeing new innovations, and now is the time for this NBA in-season tournament."

As part of Saturday's announcement, the league also unveiled the six five-team groups — three made up of Eastern Conference teams, and three made up of Western Conference foes — that will make up the group stage of the tournament:

Group 1: Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons

Group 2: Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets

Group 3: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic

Group 4: Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers

Group 5: Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets

Group 6: Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs

To create the groups, the NBA used a World Cup-style draw process, splitting each conference into five pots that were separated by last year's