Kevin Durant and the Rockets are a hot property for television purposes, as can be seen in the NBA’s gradual leaks for its 2025-26 season schedule.
Courtesy of a leak from ESPN’s Shams Charania, we now know that the Houston Rockets will play on the NBA’s opening night (October 21, 2025) and on Christmas Day (December 25).
After recently completing a 52-30 season with the league’s fourth-best record and following the offseason trade acquisition of All-Star forward Kevin Durant, the Rockets are suddenly a lucrative draw for national and international television partners.
So, how much longer will fans have to wait to get the entire schedule for the 2025-26 regular season? Not that long. As released by the Atlanta Hawks, the league’s current plan is to drop the entire slate next Thursday, August 14.
That date is largely in line with the two previous years, when the full schedule dropped on August 15 and August 17 (both Thursdays).
Based on precedent, expect a few other games beyond opening night and Christmas to be leaked in the days leading up to August 14. The NBA has new television partners next season and is also actively promoting its Emirates NBA Cup in-season tournament, so those could be given preferential treatment.
But regardless, the entire slate is almost here.
(Houston’s preseason schedule was announced last month, as is customary for most teams.)