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We've identified 10 must-watch games on NBA League Pass for Week 1 of the 2024-25 season.
Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024 — the kickoff week of the 2024-25 season — features a variety of prominent matchups available exclusively on NBA League Pass, showcasing 30 games over five days. With top draft picks making their NBA debuts and high-profile free agents stepping onto the court for their new teams, here are 10 must-watch games on League Pass during Week 1.
Wednesday, Oct. 23: Nets at Hawks (7:30 ET) - The first overall pick's inaugural NBA game. On the second day of the season, this year's top pick, Zaccharie Risacher, will make his debut as he joins Trae Young and the Hawks to take on the Nets, who are eager to see Ben Simmons on the court after the star guard was restricted to just 15 games last season due to back injuries.
Wednesday, Oct. 23: Magic at Heat (7:30 ET) - The Sunshine State rivalry will provide fans with an initial glimpse of two contenders from the Eastern Conference. Will Paolo Banchero be able to build on his All-Star season and lead Orlando to its first playoff appearance since 2020? At the same time, how will Jimmy Butler, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and the Miami Heat bounce back after injuries plagued their previous season?
Wednesday, Oct. 23: Grizzlies at Jazz (9 ET) - Ja Morant's comeback. After being sidelined for the last four months of the previous season due to a shoulder injury (and appearing in only nine games overall), Morant aims to help the Grizzlies regain their status as contenders in the Western Conference for the 2024-25 season, starting with their season opener against Lauri Markkanen and the Jazz.
Thursday, Oct. 24: Celtics at Wizards (7 ET) - Welcome to the NBA, Alex Sarr! This year's second overall pick will experience his first NBA competition against the defending champion Celtics, who will be playing their second game after starting the season on October 22 against the Knicks. Alongside Sarr, Washington's 14th pick, Carlton “Bub” Carrington, will also make his NBA debut.
Thursday, Oct. 24: Timberwolves at Kings (10 ET) - A chance to see DeMar DeRozan in a Kings uniform for the first time as Anthony Edwards and the Wolves kick off their season. Sacramento brought in the veteran scorer from Chicago through a sign-and-trade this summer after their exit in last year's SoFi Play-In Tournament. They’ll now begin the season with an early challenge against one of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Saturday, Oct. 26: Thunder at Bulls (8 ET) - Two days after starting their season against Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will travel to Chicago, where newly-acquired Alex Caruso will go up against his former team and the player he was traded for, Josh Giddey. The two teams exchanged guards in June and will now battle it out in prime time on the season's first Saturday.
Saturday, Oct. 26: Rockets at Spurs (8:30 ET) - In a Texas showdown between two emerging teams in the West, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs are set to face off against Alperen Şengün and the Rockets. This matchup will also showcase the No. 3 and No. 4 overall picks from this year's draft, with Houston guard Reed Sheppard going head-to-head against San Antonio guard Stephon Castle.
Saturday, Oct. 26: Mavericks at Suns (10 ET) - The star-studded action continues Saturday night as Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, and the Mavericks face off against Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and the Suns in the Valley. In three matchups with Phoenix last season, Dončić averaged an impressive 41.7 points per game, including a 50-point performance on Christmas Day. Now, he has the sharpshooting Klay Thompson at his side, who will be making only his second appearance as a Maverick.
Sunday, Oct. 27: 76ers at Pacers (3:30 ET) - A preview of two potential Finals contenders in the East. Aiming to build on last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals, Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers will face a challenging matchup against the newly strengthened Sixers, who have bolstered their star lineup by adding this summer’s top free-agent acquisition, Paul George, alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Sunday, Oct. 27: Clippers at Warriors (8:30 ET) - The revamped Clippers have a packed Week 1 ahead. After coexisting with the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena for 25 years, they will unveil their new home, the Intuit Dome, on October 23 against the Suns. Following a visit to Denver on October 26, LA will conclude the week with an in-state showdown against Stephen Curry and the Warriors.
Duke's Cooper Flagg leads a robust Draft pool, presenting multiple teams with the chance to make a significant impact.
Everyone has seen the highlights and read the stories. You'd have to be living under a rock not to realize the high stakes for Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. And he’s not the only one in the spotlight. A host of rising talent is hot on Cooper's New Balance-clad heels, including fellow first-year players like Rutgers' Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, UNC's Drake Powell, as well as international prospects such as France’s Nolan Traore and Australia’s Rocco Zikarsky. Additionally, VJ Edgecombe, who made a name for himself during Olympic qualifying in the Bahamas, is heading to Baylor, adding to the excitement.
The Nets are starting their climb after a downturn, strategically positioning themselves for a significant return. Brooklyn possesses four picks, including their own, thanks to a savvy trade of future selections to the improving Rockets. One of the picks from the Bucks is only protected for the top four, while they receive another pick from the Knicks outright.
The fourth pick for Brooklyn will be determined by record and will either belong to the Thunder, Rockets, or Suns. The Thunder will first decide on their pick against Houston (which is top-10 protected) or the outright selection from the Clippers; then, the Rockets will assess whether the Suns pick benefits them in either scenario.
The Spurs, on the other hand, have multiple opportunities to either develop their emerging players, trade for elite talent, or secure future assets. The flexibility they have is substantial, especially after acquiring Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio holds its own pick and a potentially valuable selection from the Hawks, along with a Bulls pick that may come their way, which is top-10 protected. However, a lottery-protected choice from the Hornets is unlikely to materialize, resulting in them having second-round picks in 2026 and 2027 instead.
A Hall of Fame player is set to join the acclaimed basketball programming as Vince Carter takes to the court for TNT Sports beginning October 17.
TNT Sports announced today that Vince Carter, one of the most exciting basketball players in history and a member of this year's Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class, will make his debut in a new and expanded role beginning Thursday, October 17, as part of NBA on TNT’s preseason coverage.
Carter will take on the role of a regular studio analyst for NBA on TNT Tuesday, joining Shaquille O’Neal, Candace Parker, and Adam Lefkoe. The NBA on TNT Tuesday franchise, which has won two Sports Emmys for outstanding interactive experience in original programming, will be back in action starting in January.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to expand my role with the TNT Sports family,” said Carter. “Top notch people, top notch productions, top notch coverage of the NBA…I appreciate the Tuesday night crew, Shaq, Candace and Adam saving a seat for me, honored to be a part of it, we are going to have some fun this season.”
Additionally, Carter – dubbed “half man, half amazing” for his thrilling, never-seen-before slam dunks – will be featured regularly on NBA TV throughout the 2024-25 NBA season. Last season, Carter contributed as a guest analyst on TNT and NBA TV for select nights.
The NBA draft for 2024, presented by State Farm, is scheduled to take place on June 27, 2024. While specific details about the draft order and player selections are not available in the search results, there are some mentions of potential picks and traded picks for the 2024 NBA draft:
🏀 The Indiana Pacers are expected to receive the worst of the Thunder picks (Clippers, Jazz, Thunder, Rockets) via the Nuggets, in exchange for a 2029 first-rounder.
🏀 The New Orleans Pelicans have the Lakers' first-round pick, which is unprotected, as part of the Anthony Davis trade.
🏀 The Pelicans also have the right to swap picks with the Milwaukee Bucks, as part of the Jrue Holiday trade .
🏀 The Houston Rockets have the Nets' first-round pick, which is unprotected, as part of the James Harden trade.
🏀 The San Antonio Spurs have the Raptors' first-round pick, with the specific protections unknown, as part of the Jakob Poeltl trade.
🏀 The Oklahoma City Thunder have the Clippers' first-round pick, which is unprotected, as part of the Paul George trade.
🏀 The Washington Wizards have the right to swap first-round picks with the Phoenix Suns, as part of the Brad Beal trade.
Things can change, so the actual draft order and player selections will be determined closer to the draft date. DO NOT MISS IT!
Important Dates for the 2023-24 NBA Season
In 2023:
- October 12: The NBA Canada Series presented by Bell kicks off with a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons in Montreal, Canada.
- October 20: The NBA Preseason concludes.
- October 23: Rosters for the NBA Opening Day are finalized at 5 p.m. ET.
- October 24: The 2023-24 NBA Regular Season officially commences.
- October 28: The NBA G League Draft takes place.
- October 30 to November 9: NBA G League Training Camp.
- November 3: The NBA In-Season Tournament begins.
- November 9: Rosters for the NBA G League Opening Day are set at 5 p.m. ET.
- November 9: The NBA Mexico City Game features the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic in Mexico City, Mexico.
- November 10: The NBA G League Season gets underway.
- December 7: The NBA In-Season Tournament Semifinals take place in Las Vegas, NV.
- December 9: The NBA In-Season Tournament Championship occurs in Las Vegas, NV.
- December 19-22: The NBA G League Winter Showcase and Showcase Cup Championship.
- December 27: The NBA G League's 34-game regular season starts for the year 2024.
In 2024:
- January 10: All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season.
- January 11: The NBA Paris Game features the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Paris, France.
- January 23-27: NBA Rivals Week.
- February 8: The NBA Trade Deadline occurs at 3 p.m. ET.
- February 16-18: The NBA All-Star 2024 event is hosted in Indianapolis, IN.
- February 16-21: The NBA All-Star break.
- March 1: Deadline for Playoff Eligibility Waivers.
- March 30: The NBA G League Regular Season concludes.
- April 2: NBA G League Playoffs commence.
- April 14: The NBA Regular Season ends.
- April 15: Rosters for the NBA Playoffs 2024 are finalized at 3 p.m. ET.
- April 16-19: The NBA Play-In Tournament.
- April 20: The NBA Playoffs 2024 officially begin.
- April 28: Deadline for NBA Early Entry Eligibility.
- May 6-7: Conference Semifinals begin (with a possible move up to May 4-5).
- May 12: The NBA Draft Lottery 2024 is presented by State Farm.
- May 13-19: NBA Combine in Chicago, IL.
- May 21-22: Conference Finals commence (with a possible move up to May 19-20).
- June 6: NBA Finals 2024 Game 1.
- June 9: NBA Finals 2024 Game 2.
- June 12: NBA Finals 2024 Game 3.
- June 14: NBA Finals 2024 Game 4.
- June 17: Deadline for NBA Draft Early Entry Entrant Withdrawals at 5 p.m. ET.
- June 17: NBA Finals 2024 Game 5 (if necessary).
- June 20: NBA Finals 2024 Game 6 (if necessary).
- June 23: NBA Finals 2024 Game 7 (if necessary).
- June 27: The NBA Draft 2024 is presented by State Farm.
