What to know about every Western Conference team’s 1st week

Following the release of the full 2025-26 schedule, we looked at each team’s opening week of games to break down key matchups and storylines entering the new season. We began with the Eastern Conference and now take a look at the West. 

Note: All games are available on NBA League Pass unless otherwise indicated.

Dallas Mavericks

• Oct. 22 vs. Spurs (ESPN)
• Oct. 24 vs. Wizards
• Oct. 26 vs. Raptors
• Oct. 27 vs. Thunder

The Mavericks open the season with their longest homestand of the entire season – five straight games in Dallas before heading to Mexico City to face the Pistons on Nov. 1. The season opener also marks the NBA debut of No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg, who will face the past two Kia Rookie of the Year winners in San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama (2023) and Stephon Castle (2024) on ESPN. After taking on the Wizards and Raptors, the Mavs welcome the defending champion Thunder to close out Week 1 with a battle between the last two teams to represent the West in the NBA Finals.

Denver Nuggets

• Oct. 23 at Warriors (ESPN)
• Oct. 25 vs. Suns
• Oct. 27 at Timberwolves (Peacock)

The Nuggets open the season in San Francisco in a matchup of former MVPs – Denver’s Nikola Jokić and Golden State’s Stephen Curry – looking to lead their teams on another title run after both of their 2024-25 seasons ended in the West semifinals. The Nuggets had beaten the Warriors nine straight times before Golden State won the final meeting last season in the Bay. Two days after their season opener, the Nuggets have their home opener against the Suns before heading to Minnesota looking to snap a six-game losing streak to the Wolves that dates back to the final two games of the 2024 West Semis, which Minnesota won in seven games.

Golden State Warriors

• Oct. 21 at Lakers (NBC/Peacock)
• Oct. 23 vs. Nuggets (ESPN)
• Oct. 24 at Blazers
• Oct. 27 vs. Grizzlies

The Warriors are one of four teams to get the Opening Night spotlight as they visit the Lakers in the nightcap of NBC’s first doubleheader of the season. It marks the 57th head-to-head matchup between Steph Curry and LeBron James and the first season opener for Jimmy Butler III as a Warrior and Luka Dončić as a Laker. Two nights later, the Warriors have their home opener against Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets before closing out their opening week with games at Portland (Warriors have won nine straight meetings) and home against Memphis (Warriors won the season series 3-1 and the 7 vs. 8 Play-In matchup last year).

Houston Rockets

• Oct. 21 at Thunder (NBC/Peacock)
• Oct. 24 vs. Pistons
• Oct. 27 vs. Nets

The Rockets made the biggest splash in the offseason, pulling off a historic seven-team deal to bring 15-time All-Star and two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant to Houston. He’ll make his Rockets debut in the opening game of the 2025-26 NBA season when Houston visits Oklahoma City to face the defending champs in the NBA’s first game on NBC in over two decades. Three days later, the Rockets have their home opener against the Pistons – a matchup of two teams that made double-digit win leaps last season and are looking to take the next step in 2025-26 – before closing Week 1 against the Nets.

LA Clippers

• Oct. 22 at Jazz
• Oct. 24 vs. Suns
• Oct. 26 vs. Blazers

Chris Paul will don a Clippers jersey for the first time since 2017 when LA opens the season in Utah against the Jazz – a team the Clippers swept 4-0 last season. In addition to bringing CP3 back to LA, the Clippers added Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez and John Collins this summer to complement the star duo of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard as they eye a deeper playoff run after last year’s first-round exit. On Oct. 24, the Clippers have their home opener at the Intuit Dome – home of NBA All-Star 2026 – as they welcome the Suns, followed by the Blazers to close out the week.

Los Angeles Lakers

• Oct. 21 vs. Warriors (NBC/Peacock)
• Oct. 24 vs. Timberwolves (Prime Video)
• Oct. 26 at Kings
• Oct. 27 vs. Blazers

A city known for its stars gets a star-studded matchup to close out Opening Night of the 2025-26 NBA season as LeBron James, Luka Donċić and the Lakers welcome Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler III and the Warriors on NBC. In case that wasn’t enough star power, Anthony Edwards and the Wolves come to town just three days later in the nightcap of the first-ever streaming broadcast on Prime Video. A quick trip up to Sacramento follows before the Lakers return home to host the Blazers as new Laker Deandre Ayton faces his former squad for the first time.

Memphis Grizzlies

• Oct. 22 vs. Pelicans
• Oct. 24 vs. Heat
• Oct. 25 vs. Pacers
• Oct. 27 at Warriors

After a rocky finish to the 2024-25 season that saw a coaching change and a first-round playoff sweep, the Grizzlies return with a retooled roster around All-Stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. and the first full season under coach Tuomas Iisalo. The Grizzlies open the season with a three-game homestand, beginning with New Orleans on Oct. 22 as the top two picks in the 2019 Draft – Zion Williamson and Morant – meet for the ninth time in their careers (tied 4-4 head-to-head). The Grizzlies close their homestand against the Heat and Pacers before heading to San Francisco to face the Warriors to wrap up Week 1.

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Oct. 22 at Blazers
• Oct. 24 at Lakers (Prime Video)
• Oct. 26 vs. Pacers
• Oct. 27 vs. Nuggets (Peacock)

The Timberwolves have reached the West Finals in back-to-back years, knocking on the door of the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. The first step toward that goal comes on Oct. 22 in Portland when Anthony Edwards and the Wolves open the season against Shaedon Sharpe and the Blazers – a clash of two of the game’s best in-game dunkers – before heading to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers two days later on Prime Video. Minnesota’s home opener comes against the reigning East champion Pacers before the Wolves close Week 1 seeking a seventh straight win over Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets.

New Orleans Pelicans

• Oct. 22 at Grizzlies
• Oct. 24 vs. Spurs
• Oct. 27 vs. Celtics

After increasing their win total for four straight seasons, the 2024-25 campaign was a tumultuous one for the Pelicans as injuries and inconsistency led to a 21-61 record and the second-lowest win percentage in franchise history. The Pelicans retooled this summer, adding Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey to the mix as they look to bounce back. Their first test will be at Memphis in the season opener on Oct. 22 against a Grizzlies team that swept last year’s season series. Two days later, the Pelicans host Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in their home opener before closing the week against the new-look Celtics.

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Oct. 21 vs. Rockets (NBC/Peacock)
• Oct. 23 at Pacers (ESPN)
• Oct. 25 at Hawks
• Oct. 27 at Mavericks

Before its title defense officially begins, OKC will celebrate its 2024-25 championship by raising its first banner to the rafters and handing out championship rings. Then, Oklahoma City’s quest to be the NBA’s first repeat champion since the 2018 Warriors begins against Kevin Durant (who was on that Warriors team) and the new-look Rockets on NBC. Two days later, OKC visits Indiana for a Finals rematch with the Pacers after the teams went the full seven games last June. The Thunder close the week on the road as they visit the revamped Hawks before facing No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg for the first time in Dallas.

Phoenix Suns

• Oct. 22 vs. Kings
• Oct. 24 at Clippers
• Oct. 25 at Nuggets
• Oct. 27 at Jazz

The Suns enter the 2025-26 season with a retooled roster around four-time All-Star Devin Booker. The departures of Kevin Durant (traded to Houston for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and draft picks), Bradley Beal and coach Mike Budenholzer signal the start of a new era for the Suns. And it begins on Oct. 22 with the home opener against the Kings, followed by a three-game road trip against a pair of 2025 playoff teams that got better in the offseason – the Clippers and Nuggets – and a Jazz squad that Phoenix has beaten 10 straight times entering this season.

Portland Trail Blazers

• Oct. 22 vs. Timberwolves
• Oct. 24 vs. Warriors
• Oct. 26 at Clippers
• Oct. 27 at Lakers

In 2023, Jrue Holiday was traded from Milwaukee to Portland, only to be traded to Boston four days later. Two years later, Holiday was traded back to Portland, but this time he’ll play for the Blazers as they look to build on last year’s 36-46 campaign. Holiday will make his Blazers’ debut on Oct. 22 in Portland’s home opener against Minnesota. It’s the first of four straight games against 2025 playoff teams to challenge the Blazers early in the season. After hosting the Warriors two nights later, the Blazers head to SoCal for an all-L.A. back-to-back against the Clippers and Lakers to close the week.

Sacramento Kings

• Oct. 22 at Suns
• Oct. 24 vs. Jazz
• Oct. 26 vs. Lakers

When the Kings open the 2025-26 campaign in Phoenix, it will mark Doug Christie’s first season opener as a head coach, Zach LaVine & Dennis Schröder’s first season opener as Kings and Nique Clifford’s professional debut after earning All-Summer League First Team honors in July while leading the Kings to the title game. After opening the season in Phoenix, the Kings return to Sacramento to face the Jazz (a team the Kings swept last season) in their home opener before welcoming the Lakers (a team that swept the Kings last season) to close out Week 1.

San Antonio Spurs

• Oct. 22 at Mavericks (ESPN)
• Oct. 24 at Pelicans
• Oct. 26 vs. Nets
• Oct. 27 vs. Raptors

San Antonio’s season opener in Dallas features the top two picks in the 2025 NBA Draft – Dallas’ Cooper Flagg and San Antonio’s Dylan Harper – making their regular-season debuts against one another, something the NBA has seen just once prior since 1966. It also marks the return of Victor Wembanyama after his second season was cut short due to a blood clot in his shoulder, along with the first Spurs’ opener for De’Aaron Fox and the official debut of Mitch Johnson as head coach. The Spurs follow that highly anticipated opener with a trip to NOLA to face the Pelicans before returning to San Antonio for their home opener against the Nets, followed by the Raptors to close the week.

Utah Jazz

• Oct. 22 vs. Clippers
• Oct. 24 at Kings
• Oct. 27 vs. Suns

Utah’s opening week of the 2025-26 campaign features three opponents that each swept the season series with the Jazz 4-0 a year ago. Utah’s season opener is also its home opener as the Jazz take on the Clippers in what will be the professional debut for Utah’s No. 5 overall pick Ace Bailey, who showed flashes of brilliance during Summer League play in Salt Lake City. Utah follows its opener with a quick trip to Sacramento to face the Kings before returning home to play the Suns to wrap up Week 1.