The Cavs will get an early look at their newest East opponent, and it comes with a familiar face in a different uniform.
Cleveland opens NBA Cup Group Play on Friday, Nov. 6, with a home game against the LeBron James-led Philadelphia 76ers. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime.
The league released the Group Play slate Wednesday afternoon, and the Cavs landed in East Group B alongside Philadelphia, Indiana, Miami and New York. Cleveland’s four-game run through the group starts with that nationally televised matchup, then continues with a road trip to Miami on Friday, Nov.
- A week later, the Cavs return home to host Indiana before wrapping up Group Play in New York on Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 25, in a rematch of the conference finals against the reigning champion Knicks.
The NBA Cup’s Friday-heavy format runs through the 2026-27 season, with Cup Nights beginning in some cases on Oct. 30 and stretching to Nov. 27. Two additional Cup Nights are on the calendar for Nov. 24 and 25.
Only the group winner advances, and the path from there is already set: the quarterfinals are scheduled for Dec. 4 and 5, the semifinals for Dec. 8 and/or 9, and the championship on Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
This all fits into a bigger schedule rollout the league started Tuesday, which included an Opening Day tripleheader and the five-game Christmas Day slate. Cleveland wasn’t part of either showcase, despite reaching the conference finals last season for the first time since 2018.
Instead, the Cavs will open their 2026-27 season on Oct. 22 in Philadelphia, where James will play his first home game with his new team against the franchise where his career began.
Cleveland had shown interest in bringing James back this summer for a third, and final, stint as an unrestricted free agent. After a long decision, he chose the 76ers, setting up what looks like a fresh rivalry between two teams expected to be in the East mix.
The Cavs and Sixers are expected to meet four times this season, and two of those games will be on national TV in the first three weeks.
The league will reveal the full schedule for the coming season Thursday.
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