NBA Training Camps Open With Roster Battles and College Eligibility Questions

The NBA officially opened training camps Tuesday, beginning the three-week sprint toward the 2026-27 regular season and creating important decisions for players competing for final roster spots. All 30 teams can carry as many as 21 players during the preseason, but regular-season rosters must be reduced to 15 standard contracts, plus as many as three two-way players, by Oct. 19. That means more than 90 players currently in camps could ultimately be cut.

NBA Training Camps Get Underway

Those roster decisions have an unusual college basketball angle this year. Players failing to make NBA rosters aren’t expected to produce another major wave of former college players attempting to return to school through eligibility lawsuits. Enrollment deadlines have already passed at most Division I schools, and several major conferences have adopted rules preventing players who signed professional contracts or remained in the NBA Draft from returning.

College Return Unlikely for Most Cuts

Former Vanderbilt forward Tyler Nickel illustrates the changing landscape. The Knicks’ No. 47 draft pick had reportedly explored the possibility of returning to college but instead signed a two-way contract with New York. CBS Sports reported another school could have offered him more than $3 million if he regained eligibility.

Key NBA Dates to Watch

Preseason Begins Saturday

The league moves quickly from training camp into preseason games. Key dates include:

• Sept. 29 — Training camps open: Teams begin full practices with rosters of up to 21 players.
• Oct. 3 — Preseason begins: Miami faces Toronto in Quebec City at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV.
• Oct. 4 — Warriors vs. Clippers: The teams meet in Honolulu at 7 p.m. ET.
• Oct. 9 and 11 — NBA China Games: Dallas and Houston play two games in Macao.
• Oct. 10 — NBA Canada Game: The Clippers meet Toronto in Vancouver at 6:30 p.m. ET.
• Oct. 16 — Preseason ends: Teams get their final opportunity to evaluate players in game action.
• Oct. 19 — Opening Day rosters set: Final rosters must be established by 5 p.m. ET.
• Oct. 20 — Regular season begins: Boston visits Detroit, Philadelphia plays defending champion New York and Oklahoma City visits San Antonio in an NBC/Peacock tripleheader.

NBA Championship Betting Outlook

Thunder and Spurs Lead Futures Markets

FanDuel and BetMGM enter training camp with Oklahoma City and San Antonio occupying the shortest prices in the championship market. FanDuel’s published futures betting board has Oklahoma City +240 and San Antonio +280, while BetMGM recently listed the teams as +260 co-favorites. Using FanDuel’s published championship prices, the top 10 are:

• Oklahoma City Thunder — +240
• San Antonio Spurs — +280
• Philadelphia 76ers — +1000
• New York Knicks — +1000
• Boston Celtics — +1500
• Toronto Raptors — +2200
• Detroit Pistons — +2500
• Denver Nuggets — +2700
• Cleveland Cavaliers — +2700
• Houston Rockets — +2700

BetMGM’s market differs slightly, most notably with Oklahoma City and San Antonio sharing the shortest price at +260. Futures prices at FanDuel, BetMGM and other sportsbooks can change considerably as injuries, roster cuts and preseason performances alter expectations. For now, training camps provide the first opportunity to evaluate revamped rosters, rookies and players returning from injuries. With preseason games beginning Saturday and the regular season only three weeks away, competition for the final roster spots should become one of the league’s biggest storylines through mid-October.