The Brooklyn Nets recently found out what their entire schedule for the 2026-27 NBA regular season will be and as a result, they will have certain games that will have more impact than others. Brooklyn should have more excitement surrounding the upcoming season given that they made one of the more interesting trades of the offseason by trading for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle.
The Nets have 80 games on their schedule due to two of those games being scheduled later in the season when the NBA Cup decides who will be playing in Las Vegas for those bragging rights. Given that Brooklyn is expected to once again be one of the worst teams in the Association next season, the team could be more focused when it comes to events like the NBA Cup.
The good news is that the Nets will have the opportunity of a seven-game homestand from Mar. 21 to Apr. 2, but they will also have two instances of five-game road trips on the west coast. Most of the Nets fanbase has pointed out that Brooklyn did not get the best shake of the schedule with them having 16 back-to-backs, but here are five games for the fanbase to look out for next season:
Oct. 21 vs. Charlotte Hornets
The Nets open their 2026-27 season at home against a Charlotte Hornets team that no longer has LaMelo Ball or Miles Bridges on the roster after the trades they've made this summer. Time will tell if the Hornets are destined to be another rebuilding team like the Nets, but they still have Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel in the fold to pair with Naz Reid.
Oct. 24 @ Cleveland Cavaliers
This matchup will be important as the Nets will play their first road game of the 2026-27 season at a Cleveland Cavaliers that has gotten the better of them over the past few seasons. However, former Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis is now with Brooklyn so it's possible that his experience playing in Cleveland could aid the Nets in turning the tide of this matchup moving forward.
Oct. 30 vs. Detroit Pistons
This will be the first NBA Cup game for the Nets, but it will still be a tough matchup against Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons, even at home. Detroit could get off to a slow start next season with the team in extended negotiations with center Jalen Duren, but assuming that situation resolves itself soon, Brooklyn will have to bring the best version of themselves against Detroit in the Cup.
Nov. 18 vs. Chicago Bulls
This game represents the return of center Nic Claxton to Brooklyn after being traded to the Chicago Bulls in the deal that brought Randle to the Nets. Claxton will likely be the big man that the Bulls have been looking for over the past few years and this matchup also pits Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft) against Caleb Wilson (No. 4).
Feb. 4 vs. Lakers
Forward Ziaire Williams had arguably the best season of his career and now, he is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers that will be visiting Barclays Center on this day. Williams was one of the more active defenders that Brooklyn has had in quite some time and now, the fans will have a chance to embrace Williams when he makes his return against his most recent team.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 5 Nets games to look out for in 2026-27 NBA regular season