NBA Cup Tickets 2026: Schedule, Prices & How to Buy

What Is the NBA Cup?

The NBA Cup is the league's mid-season tournament, originally introduced in 2023 as the In-Season Tournament and rebranded under the Emirates sponsorship. All 30 NBA teams compete. The tournament unfolds during the regular season, overlaying a bracket-style elimination format onto games that also count in the regular-season standings.

The concept borrows from domestic cup competitions common in global soccer, such as the FA Cup or Copa del Rey, where every club enters and a single-elimination bracket produces a champion. Unlike the NBA Playoffs, which begin after 82 games, the NBA Cup crowns a winner before the calendar year ends. The winning team's players earn a significant individual bonus: in the 2025 edition, each player on the championship team earned more than $500,000. That prize money, combined with a dedicated trophy and banner, gives every roster a concrete reason to compete at full intensity.

For ticket buyers, the NBA Cup matters because it transforms select regular-season dates into must-watch events with playoff-level energy and heightened broadcast coverage.

Format Explained: Groups, Knockout Bracket & Championship

The 2026 NBA Cup divides all 30 teams into six groups of five, three groups in each conference. Group assignments are determined by a random draw seeded by the previous season's records. Each team plays four group-stage games (one against every other team in its group), with two at home and two on the road.

The eight teams that advance to the Knockout Rounds are selected as follows: the first-place finisher from each of the six groups earns a spot, and one wild-card team from each conference (the second-place team with the best Group Play record) fills out the bracket. From the quarterfinals onward, every game is single elimination. Quarterfinal and semifinal games are hosted at the higher-seeded team's home arena, and the championship is played at a neutral venue, Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, this year.

A critical detail for ticket buyers: group-play games and knockout-round games through the semifinals all count toward the regular-season standings. Only the championship game does not. That distinction means group-stage tickets function identically to regular-season tickets in terms of how they are sold, while the championship requires a separate, event-specific purchase.

Past NBA Cup Champions (2023–2025)

Three different franchises have lifted the NBA Cup trophy in the tournament's first three years, underscoring how wide-open the competition has been.

The Knicks won the 2025 NBA Cup and went on to win the 2026 NBA Championship, making them the first team to win both in the same season.

2026 NBA Cup Schedule at a Glance

The 2026 NBA Cup runs from October 30 through December 11. Group Play unfolds on designated Cup Nights through late November, followed by the single-elimination knockout rounds in early December and the championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on December 11.

Group-stage games are played in each team's home arena and count toward the regular-season standings, so tickets are sold the same way as any other home game. Quarterfinal and semifinal games are played in NBA team markets, with ticket details announced once the bracket is set. Knockout-round games, including the championship, stream on Prime Video.

Hinkle Fieldhouse: The 2026 Championship Venue

For three straight years, the NBA Cup Championship called T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas home, a modern arena in a destination city built for large-scale events. The shift to Hinkle Fieldhouse flips nearly every variable that ticket buyers have come to expect.

Hinkle Fieldhouse sits on the Butler University campus in Indianapolis. Built in 1928, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The fieldhouse famously hosted the 1954 Indiana state championship game that inspired the film Hoosiers, and it remains the home court of Butler University's men's and women's basketball teams.

The size is the headline for ticket seekers: Hinkle is far smaller than a typical NBA arena. Compared with T-Mobile Arena, the supply of available tickets is far smaller. The NBA also organized a scavenger hunt across Indianapolis, placing five Emirates NBA Cup game balls at locations tied to the city's basketball heritage. Fans who found one and returned it to Hinkle Fieldhouse earned tickets to the championship.

For buyers, the math is straightforward. Fewer seats means tighter supply. An iconic, once-in-a-generation setting fuels emotional demand. And Indianapolis, while a major sports city, does not have Las Vegas's surplus of hotel rooms and entertainment infrastructure, so travel planning benefits from an early start. 

How to Buy NBA Cup Tickets in 2026

Purchasing NBA Cup tickets follows two distinct paths depending on which stage of the tournament you are targeting. Group-play games flow through regular-season ticket channels, while the knockout rounds, especially the championship, require a more targeted approach.

Group-Play Tickets (Home Arena Games)

Group-stage NBA Cup games are regular-season games with a tournament overlay. That means tickets are available through the exact same mechanisms as any other home game:

1. Full-season ticket holders already have their team's home group-play games. Partial plans may or may not include them.

2. Primary box office / team ticketing partner; each franchise's official sales page (typically powered by Ticketmaster or AXS) lists individual game tickets, including Cup Night dates.

3. Resale marketplaces such as TicketX carry inventory from season-ticket holders and other sellers who list individual games.

Timing matters. Cup Night games against high-profile opponents (think Lakers vs. Warriors or Knicks vs. Heat) tend to sell through primary channels faster than a Tuesday matchup between rebuilding teams. If primary inventory is gone, the resale market is your next stop.

Championship & Knockout-Round Tickets

Knockout-round tickets operate differently. Quarterfinal and semifinal games are played in NBA team markets, and ticket details are typically announced once the bracket is set, so buyers should monitor announcements closely.

For the championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse, the NBA sells tickets two ways, well before the bracket is set: general tickets through NBAEvents.com and hospitality packages through NBA Experiences. The packages bundle the game ticket with an event experience. The Trophy Package, which includes a photo opportunity with the NBA Cup Trophy, was listed as sold out on the official site.

Once the primary sale sells through, the resale market becomes the main source of remaining seats. Expect listings to appear on major resale platforms as soon as primary buyers decide to relist their seats.

Choosing a Resale Platform

Not all resale marketplaces treat buyers the same way. Before committing to a purchase, especially for a high-demand event like the NBA Cup Championship, evaluate platforms on these criteria:

Buyer guarantee 

What happens if the tickets are invalid, never delivered, or the event is canceled without rescheduling? Platforms worth your trust spell this out clearly. TicketX, for example, backs every order with a Buyer Guarantee that provides a full refund in four specific scenarios: fake or invalid tickets, tickets not delivered in time, events canceled without a rescheduled date, and failed seller transfers. For full terms, consult TicketX's terms of service.

Ticket verification 

Resale inherently involves third-party sellers, so the platform's vetting process matters. TicketX lists verified tickets. Other platforms have their own verification language. Read the fine print to understand what "verified" actually means on each site.

For more on ticket-buying platforms generally, see Ticketmaster Alternatives in 2026: Best Sites for Concert and Sports Tickets.

NBA Cup Ticket Prices: What to Expect

Pricing for NBA Cup games is not monolithic. Group-stage games and championship-round games occupy entirely different tiers of the market, driven by different forces.

What Drives Group-Play Pricing

Because group-play games are regular-season contests, their pricing follows regular-season dynamics. The main variables:

• Team market size. A Cup Night at Madison Square Garden (Knicks) or Crypto.com Arena (Lakers) commands a higher baseline than the same round at a smaller-market arena.

• Opponent quality and rivalry factor. A marquee matchup between two big-market teams will price differently than a mid-November game between two teams outside playoff contention.

• Day of week and time slot. Cup Nights with national TV windows tend to draw more demand (and higher prices) than midweek dates.

• Seat location. Courtside, lower bowl, and upper deck each occupy their own pricing band, just like any regular-season game.

• Tournament stakes. As group play progresses, games with elimination implications (a must-win for a team to advance) can see resale prices climb in the final days before tip-off.

To browse tickets for other NBA games this season, see NBA tickets on TicketX.

What Drives Championship Game Pricing

Championship-round pricing is a different animal. Several compounding factors push prices well above group-stage levels:

• Venue capacity. Hinkle Fieldhouse's limited capacity creates a supply ceiling far below what T-Mobile Arena offered in previous years. Fewer tickets in circulation means higher clearing prices on the resale market.

• Neutral-site demand. Fans of both competing teams, plus basketball purists drawn by the historic venue, all bid on the same limited pool of seats. Unlike a home game where one fan base dominates, neutral-site championship demand is broader and less predictable.

• Matchup uncertainty. Championship tickets go on sale before the bracket is finalized. Buyers purchasing early are betting on the event itself, not on a specific matchup. If two large-market or high-profile teams reach the final, resale prices can surge in the days after the bracket is set. 

• Primary package demand. Buyers who miss the primary packages may pay a secondary-market premium, particularly for lower-bowl and courtside seats.

Hidden Fees & the FTC Rule: What NBA Cup Ticket Buyers Should Know

If you have ever added a ticket to your cart at one price, only to see a significantly higher total by the time you pay, you have experienced drip pricing. Service fees, order-processing charges, delivery fees, and facility surcharges were sometimes shown only late in the purchase flow, which is the kind of pricing the FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (16 CFR Part 464) was designed to address.

The regulatory landscape shifted in May 2025, when the FTC's fee rule took effect on May 12 and began requiring live-event ticket sellers to display the total price, including all mandatory fees except government taxes and shipping, wherever a price is shown. The rule applies to both primary ticket sellers and secondary (resale) marketplaces. Enforcement has already begun. In April 2026, StubHub agreed to pay $10 million to settle FTC charges that it advertised ticket prices without clearly disclosing all mandatory fees up front during the rule's first days, May 12–14, 2025. 

What this means for NBA Cup ticket buyers in 2026: sellers of live-event tickets are now required by federal law to show the total price, including all mandatory fees except government taxes and shipping, wherever a price is shown. TicketX operates with no hidden fees. For more on how the marketplace works and what backs it, see Is TicketX Legit?

Tips for NBA Cup Attendees

Attending an NBA Cup game, whether it is a Friday night group-stage showdown at your local arena or the championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse, offers a distinct atmosphere that regular-season games do not always deliver. Here is how to make the most of it.

Arrive early for the full experience. In past seasons, NBA Cup games used special Cup-branded court designs, a signature visual of the tournament. If the 2026 edition follows suit, the floor looks best when the arena is still filling up and you can take it in from your seat. Arena gates typically open well before tip-off; arriving early also gives you time to explore any Cup-specific activations or merchandise.

Go mobile. Many NBA arenas now operate on mobile-only entry. Your ticket, whether purchased through a primary seller or a resale platform, will be delivered as a mobile transfer or a digital barcode. Download the relevant app (the team's official app or the ticketing platform's app) and load your ticket before you leave for the arena. Screenshots of barcodes are often rejected at the gate, so use the live ticket in the app.

Understand the stakes before you walk in. One of the unique pleasures of attending a Cup Night game is the tournament context. Check group standings before you go: is your team in a must-win scenario to advance? Is the opponent already eliminated? The energy in the building shifts dramatically when elimination is on the line. Knowing the context enriches the experience.

Championship game logistics (Hinkle Fieldhouse). If you are heading to Indianapolis for the final, plan your travel well in advance. Hinkle Fieldhouse is located on Butler University's campus, north of downtown Indianapolis. Indianapolis is well-served by the Indianapolis International Airport (IND), and downtown hotels are a convenient base for the trip.

Soak it in. The NBA Cup is still young enough that attending one of its early editions puts you in a rare club. The atmosphere at the championship game in particular, a single-game, winner-take-all showdown with real prize money and a trophy on the line, is unlike anything else on the NBA calendar outside of the Finals.

NBA Cup Tickets FAQ

Are NBA Cup games the same as regular-season games?

Yes and no. NBA Cup group-play games and knockout-round games (quarterfinals and semifinals) all count in the official regular-season standings. Wins and losses from these games affect playoff seeding just like any other regular-season contest. The championship game is the sole exception: it does not count toward the regular-season record. From a standings perspective, most NBA Cup games are indistinguishable from standard regular-season games.

The game-day experience, however, is noticeably different. Cup Night games feature tournament-specific broadcast overlays and an elevated atmosphere driven by the elimination format. Players are also competing for a substantial individual bonus. In the 2025 edition, each player on the championship team earned more than $500,000. So while the games are technically regular-season games (with one exception), they feel meaningfully different in the arena and on the broadcast.

Do I need a special ticket for group-play games?

No. Group-play NBA Cup games are part of each team's regular-season home schedule. If you hold full-season tickets, your team's home Cup Night games are already included. If you are buying individual game tickets, you purchase them exactly the same way you would buy tickets to any other home game, through the team's primary ticketing partner or via a resale marketplace. There is no separate "NBA Cup ticket" category for the group stage, no special access pass, and no premium tier required.

The distinction arises only for the knockout rounds. Quarterfinal and semifinal games are played at the higher-seeded team's home arena and sold through that team's ticketing, and the championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse requires a separate event-specific ticket or package purchase through the NBA's official site or the secondary market.

Why is the 2026 championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse?

The NBA announced that the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup Championship will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, while all other tournament games are played in NBA team markets. Built in 1928 on the Butler University campus, Hinkle is a National Historic Landmark and is known for hosting the 1954 Indiana state championship game that inspired the film Hoosiers.

Can I buy championship tickets before the bracket is set?

Yes. The NBA sells championship tickets before the bracket is set, with general tickets through NBAEvents.com and hospitality packages through NBA Experiences. Buying early means securing seats without knowing which teams will play in the final.

Will resale sites add fees?

It depends on the platform. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (16 CFR Part 464) has required ticket sellers to display the total price, including all mandatory fees except government taxes and shipping, wherever a price is shown. TicketX operates with no hidden fees. For details on TicketX's purchase protections, refer to TicketX's terms of service.

Is the NBA Cup worth attending live?

Yes, especially if you enjoy games with extra stakes. Group-play games are regular-season games with a tournament atmosphere, including the chance to see teams compete to advance. The championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse is a single-elimination, winner-take-all game in a historic venue, which makes it a standout event on the NBA calendar.