If you’re still calling it the "D League," honestly, you’re not alone. Old habits die hard. But while the name changed to the G League years ago, the confusion over the nba d league schedule has only grown. People expect a standard 82-game grind like the big show. It isn't that. Not even close.
The 2025-26 season is a weird, two-part experiment that basically resets itself halfway through. You’ve got teams playing for a trophy in December, then everyone goes back to 0-0 before Christmas. It’s chaotic. It’s fast. And if you’re trying to track when your favorite NBA team's prospects are actually hitting the floor, you need to understand that the schedule is built more like a tournament circuit than a traditional league.
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The Two-Part Split: Why the Record Resets
The most jarring thing about the current nba d league schedule is that it’s not one continuous season. It’s split into the Tip-Off Tournament and the Regular Season.
The Tip-Off Tournament started back on November 7, 2025. This 14-game sprint is mostly about geography. Teams play in four regional pods—Central, East, South, and West—to keep travel costs down and intensity high.
Then comes the "reset."
After the Winter Showcase in late December, every team’s record is wiped clean. It doesn't matter if a team went 14-0 or 0-14 in the first six weeks. On December 19, 2025, the actual 36-game regular season began. This is where the standings for the 2026 playoffs actually start counting. If you're looking at a team's record today and wondering why it seems "low," it’s likely because those November wins are sitting in a different bucket.
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Key Dates for the 2026 Stretch
If you’re looking at the calendar right now, here are the milestones that actually matter for the rest of this season:
- January 5, 2026: This was a massive day. 10-day contracts became available. This is when the G League schedule starts to get raided by NBA GMs looking for injury replacements.
- February 13-15, 2026: All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. The "Up Next" game is the G League's version of the Rising Stars, and it's usually where the next big thing (think Matas Buzelis or Scoot Henderson types) puts on a show.
- March 28, 2026: The regular season ends.
- March 31, 2026: The 2026 NBA G League Playoffs officially tip off.
The Expanded 2026 Playoff Format
For the first time ever, the league is letting more teams into the dance. They’ve expanded the field to 16 teams. That means the top eight teams from the Eastern Conference and the top eight from the Western Conference get in.
In previous years, it was a bit of a exclusive club with only six per side. The new format makes the late March nba d league schedule much more desperate. Suddenly, those middle-of-the-pack teams like the Noblesville Boom (the Pacers' new affiliate) or the Rip City Remix have a legitimate shot if they can just stay around .500.
The playoffs are a single-elimination format until you hit the Finals, which is a best-of-three series in April. It’s a brutal way to end a season—one bad shooting night and a year of development is over—but it makes for incredible TV.
Where to Actually Watch These Games
Tracking down the games is sort of a scavenger hunt. It’s not like the NBA where you just turn on TNT or ESPN and call it a day.
Most games are tucked away on ESPN+ or NBA TV, but there's a surprising amount of free stuff. Tubi and The Roku Channel have picked up a lot of the slack lately. Also, if you’re a real degenerate for hoops, the G League website often streams games that aren't picked up by the national broadcasters.
The 10-Day Contract Chaos
You have to realize that the nba d league schedule is heavily influenced by the NBA's health.
When a flu bug hits the Miami Heat, the Sioux Falls Skyforce roster basically evaporates. This creates a "next man up" mentality that makes the schedule unpredictable. You might go to see a specific lottery pick play on a Tuesday in Wilmington, only to find out he was called up to the Sixers two hours before tip-off. That's the charm (and the frustration) of the minor leagues.
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Actionable Tips for Following the Schedule
If you want to stay on top of the 2026 season without losing your mind, do these three things:
- Ignore the "Overall" Record: Look specifically at the "Regular Season" standings on the G League app. The "Tip-Off" records are irrelevant now for playoff seeding.
- Watch the "Home-and-Home" Sets: The G League loves "baseball-style" scheduling. Teams will often play the same opponent twice in three days in the same city. These second games are almost always chippy and more competitive.
- Check NBA Injury Reports: If an NBA team has three guys out with sprained ankles, check their affiliate's schedule. That's usually when a G League star is about to have a "showcase" game to prove he belongs in the league.
The 2026 Finals are set for April, right before the NBA playoffs start. It's the perfect bridge for fans who can't get enough basketball. Just remember: it's a 36-game sprint to the finish now, and with 16 playoff spots up for grabs, the intensity in these small-town arenas is about to peak.