The Denver Nuggets’ 2026-27 home slate has a little bit of everything: marquee stars, playoff rematches, NBA Cup games, and a few nights that look built for value hunters. For fans deciding when to make the trip to Ball Arena, the calendar is loaded with dates worth circling.
The season opens with a Saturday night home opener on Oct. 24 against the New Orleans Pelicans at 7:00 p.m. That matchup might not usually jump off the page, but it gets an extra layer here because it’s Denver’s first home game of the year. It also offers an early look at a Pelicans group led by Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III.
Two nights later, the Nuggets stay home for a Monday night meeting with the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 26 at 8:00 p.m. Any time Steph Curry is in town, that’s a ticket fans tend to notice, and this one comes as part of a quick early-season stretch that could be worth the time.
November brings a mix of star power and pricing intrigue. On Nov.
4, Denver hosts the Toronto Raptors at 7:00 p.m., and this could be the first chance for Nuggets fans to see Kawhi Leonard on this new-look Raptors team, if the trade goes through. ESPN also shows that this is currently, as of Sept. 11, their lowest-priced home game of the season.
A couple weeks later, the Boston Celtics come to Ball Arena on Nov. 18 at 7:00 p.m. That’s one of the few home dates Nuggets fans only get once a year, and Jayson Tatum and the Celtics give it plenty of pull.
Then the NBA Cup arrives at home on Nov. 20 against the Houston Rockets at 8:00 p.m., Denver’s first home game of the 2026 NBA Cup. If the bright court doesn’t bother you, the matchup with Kevin Durant and a strong Rockets team gives it some extra weight.
The next Cup home game comes on Nov. 24 against the Dallas Mavericks at 8:00 p.m., with Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving, and the Mavericks in town.
The schedule gets especially juicy in December and beyond. On Dec. 19, the Los Angeles Lakers visit at 7:00 p.m., and a Luka Doncic-Nikola Jokic matchup is the kind of thing that can push prices up but still feels worth it on a Saturday night.
Eight days later, on Dec. 28 at 8:30 p.m., Denver gets its first shot at the Minnesota Timberwolves team that knocked it out of the playoffs last season. That one also comes with a new-look backcourt of LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, which makes it an easy game to have on the radar.
The first Saturday of 2027 brings the New York Knicks to Ball Arena on Jan. 2 at 3:00 p.m. Ticket prices could run higher there too, but the defending champs in Denver are always a draw, and Jalen Brunson and company will still be one of the league’s best teams.
February has its own high-end options, starting with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 2 at 7:00 p.m. That’s the Thunder’s first trip to Denver this season, and it fits the “get your money’s worth” category.
A more unpredictable date comes on Feb. 11 against the Chicago Bulls at 7:00 p.m., one of the better-priced games in February and one that lands just hours after the trade deadline. That could make it a strange one, depending on what happens before tip-off.
The Lakers return on Feb. 26 at 8:00 p.m. if fans want another shot at that matchup on a weekend night. Then March turns into a run of games with plenty to watch.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs don’t come to Denver until Mar. 3 at 8:00 p.m., which means the wait only builds the anticipation. The Timberwolves come back on Mar. 7 at 1:30 p.m. for another rematch from last season’s first-round battle, and that one should carry even more heat.
On Mar. 14 at 5:30 p.m., the Miami Heat visit, giving Nuggets fans a chance to see Giannis Antetokounmpo come to town, along with a return for Tim Hardaway Jr. On Mar. 18 at 7:00 p.m., the Cleveland Cavaliers arrive, but the homecoming most fans will be watching is Peyton Watson.
That game is also one of the more affordable late-season matchups. Then on Mar. 28 at 8:00 p.m., the Philadelphia 76ers come in for what could be the last Ball Arena appearance as an opponent for LeBron James, if his NBA future remains in question.
The source also notes that after it felt like he had a chance to sign with the Nuggets this offseason, the matchup means even more. Add in the star talent on that 76ers roster, and it stands out as a major date.
The regular season closes at home on Apr. 11 at 6:30 p.m. against the Thunder. It’s a division rivalry game to end the year, though there’s a catch: depending on where the standings sit, stars could rest for the playoffs. That makes it a game worth waiting on before buying tickets.
In Other News...
Nuggets Wing Addition Just Put Real Pressure On Denvers Rotation
The Nuggets have added another name to the wing mix, and it comes with a bit more intrigue than usual. Denver signed DeMar DeRozan to a one-year veterans minimum deal to help fill out the rotation on the perimeter, and then officially brought in Lonnie Walker IV after he exited his contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, giving the team another look at a player who has been on NBA radar for a while.
Walkers path to Denver is still far from settled, though, and that is what makes this one worth watching as camp approaches. His agreement is only a training camp invite with no guaranteed money, so he will have to earn his way onto the roster in a crowded battle for minutes and a final spot. For a Nuggets team trying to balance established production with depth on the wing, the next few weeks should tell a lot about how serious this addition really is. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jokic Sounds Fed Up As Nuggets Face A Delicate Spotlight Issue
The Nuggets spent the offseason operating under financial restrictions that shaped how they could build out the roster, another reminder of how thin the margin can be for a team trying to stay in contention around Nikola Jokic. On top of that, the franchise is dealing with the usual pressure that comes with any star in a contract year, even as reports continue to indicate Jokic wants to stay in Denver.
What makes the situation a little more delicate is the spotlight itself. Jokic has made it clear he is increasingly uncomfortable with the public side of being one of the leagues biggest names, and that tension adds a quieter layer to a season already carrying plenty of attention. Teams around the league are watching his contract situation closely, but for the Nuggets, the more immediate concern is keeping their cornerstone content while the noise keeps building around him. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jokic Just Gave Nuggets Fans A Rarely Seen Frustration
Nikola Jokic has spent years being one of the NBAs most recognizable stars, but he sounded far more interested in drawing a line around his off-court life than soaking up the spotlight. In a recent interview, the Nuggets center talked openly about how the attention can wear on him, saying he is not as eager as he once was to stop for fans and that he is trying to protect his own time away from the game.
Jokic also turned the conversation back to basketball, where the challenge still comes from the quality of the league as much as from any one opponent. He discussed the defenders who make his nights difficult and noted how many good big men and versatile bodies there are to deal with, a reminder that even for a player with his rsum, the nightly grind never really lets up. [Read more 🡒]