We're only a few short weeks until the start of another NBA season. The season starts, of course, with training camp. That's where relationships are forged on the court. New teammates meet and gel, new head coaches unveil their strategies, and season-long goals are established.
The start date of training camp depends on a few circumstances. Teams generally get a few days of practice in before preseason games begin. A few NBA teams will travel overseas for preseason action. Those groups report first.
Here are all the important NBA preseason dates.
When does NBA training camp start? Date, time, more
NBA training camp broadly starts on Oct. 3. The first allowable date for veteran players to report to their teams is Oct. 2.
There is a slight difference, however, for the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves, who will open NBA preseason action with games in Abu Dhabi, UAE on Oct. 5 and 7. Those teams report to camp on Sept. 27 and veterans are allowed to report on Sept. 26.
When does NBA preseason start? Dates, times, etc.
The NBA preseason schedule opens on Oct. 5 with the Mavs and Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi.
Domestic games begin with the Warriors and Lakers on Oct. 7.
The Mavs also have a special match with Euroleague champs Real Madrid, Luka Doncic's former team, on Oct. 10.
In total, the preseason schedule will run from Oct. 5 to Oct. 20. Most teams will play four games. You can peruse the full schedule for specific games at NBA.com.
It's time to strap in for another thrilling NBA season. Training camp is about the nuts and bolts of team-building, but it also has the potential to supply more than enough drama to satiate the Twitter scrollers and the morning talk shows.
Both James Harden and Damian Lillard remain active in their trade requests. Right now, the Sixers plan to bring Harden into camp — or at least try to. Lillard is expected to report to Blazers camp if a trade doesn't come to fruition in advance.
Juicy.
Training camp and media day mark our first opportunity to hear comments from all the jilted ex-teammates and corporate malcontents of the NBA world. It's about basketball, yes, but the NBA balances sport and media slop better than any other league.