The Spurs’ 2025-26 schedule is loaded with the obvious headliners. They’re tied for the most nationally televised games at 34, they’re back on Halloween, and the league is treating San Antonio like one of its premier draws. The numbers behind the calendar tell a different kind of story, too: the Spurs are tied for the most days of rest and have just 13 back-to-backs, two scheduling perks that should help after a deep run that ended in the NBA Finals.
But beyond the marquee matchups, there are a few dates that could end up mattering in a big way.
The first one comes early, on 10/28, when the Spurs visit Utah. That game lands on the second night of a back-to-back, and it also comes after another back-to-back, making it San Antonio’s fourth game in six days.
The Jazz are described as an underrated but supremely talented group, and they’ll be eager to show they’re done with tanking and losing. That makes this a real test of the Spurs’ early-season depth, especially on the road.
Then there’s 11/07, when Portland gets its first crack at revenge. The Trail Blazers lost the series in five games, and the sting is even sharper because Victor Wembanyama missed Game 3. This time, though, Portland will have Ja Morant and Damian Lillard on its side, which sets up what should be an explosive early-November game.
On 12/15, the Spurs get a shot at something Wembanyama has never done: beat Cleveland. San Antonio is riding a seven-game losing streak against the Cavaliers, and the last win came during the 2022-23 season.
The bigger picture is even rougher - the Spurs are 1-10 in their last 11 meetings with Cleveland. That run has gone on long enough, and this is the date to finally fix it.
The final sleeper comes late, on 2/28, when Denver arrives for the first of two straight meetings, with the teams set to play again on March 3. That stretch will come as San Antonio enters the home stretch, and it should serve as a useful measuring stick against a top-tier opponent. It also gives Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic their first meeting of the season, with both players sure to have MVP implications in mind.
The schedule has its share of obvious spotlight games, but these are the ones that could sneak up and say something important about where the Spurs stand.
In Other News...
Spurs Arena Plan Now Hinges On A San Antonio Funding Fight
San Antonios push for a new Spurs arena has entered a more complicated phase, with the project now tied to a city budget debate as much as a sports one. City council had already approved $489 million in municipal bond funding, but the citys projected deficit has reopened the question of how that money should be handled and how much public backing still exists for the plan.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is now seeking to have residents reauthorize the citys share of arena funding on the November ballot, and the council is scheduled to vote on whether to put the matter in front of voters. Even if that does not happen, the process is not over, because residents would still have to cast another vote to issue city bonds for the first phase of construction, leaving the arena effort caught between political timing and a required public test. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Rookie Carter Bryant Faced A Brutal Early Test Behind The Scenes
Brian Wright used the 14th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Carter Bryant, and the Spurs did not ease their rookie in gently once practice began. Early on, Bryant had to deal with the kind of behind-the-scenes assignment that can expose a young player fast, as he learned the pace, physicality and details that come with defending established NBA talent in a Spurs gym.
The trial-by-fire helped Bryant settle in as the season went on, and his growth showed up when the games mattered most. By the playoffs, he had carved out a real role off the bench, giving San Antonio useful minutes and spacing while continuing to benefit from the lessons he picked up against teammates in practice. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Face One Big Question Behind Their Offseason Momentum
The Spurs spent the offseason adding more layers to a roster that already had promise, bringing in Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed through the draft, signing Tobias Harris and keeping Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes in the fold. On paper, it looks like the kind of steady summer that can help a young team build on momentum, especially with Victor Wembanyama already giving San Antonio a defensive backbone few teams can match.
The bigger question now sits on the sideline, where the staff looks different even as the roster grows deeper. Sean Sweeney, who played a major role in sharpening that defense, is gone after taking a head coaching job in Orlando, leaving Billy Donovan to sort out how much of last seasons identity can carry over without him. For a Spurs team trying to turn offseason progress into a real step forward, that coaching change may matter as much as any addition. [Read more 🡒]