Everything You Need to Know About the NBA Cup

While everyone pays close attention to the NBA Finals at the end of the year, there's also an In-Season Tournament, better known as the NBA Cup, to keep eyes on during the regular season. It's a midseason competition that was introduced by the league to add extra excitement and intensity to the regular season. It features all 30 teams competing in group play, followed by knockout rounds, and a championship game in Las Vegas. All of the games count towards the regular season standings, except for the final game. Teams are divided into groups based on their record from last season and the tournament is designed to give players, fans, and teams a new competitive goal early in the year.

Beyond bragging rights, the NBA Cup offers real incentives. Players and coaches on the winning team receive a cash prize of $530,000. For fans, it brings playoff-like energy to early-season matchups and helps the NBA expand its appeal by allowing fans to enjoy a tournament style matchup during the regular season. Ultimately, the NBA Cup aims to boost engagement, highlight emerging talent, and make every part of the season feel meaningful. Since it just kicked off, let's see how some of the teams are faring so far.

Group Stage

NBA Cup Groups NBA

All 30 teams were put into groups of five based on their win-loss records from the 2024-2025 season. The NBA Cup began on October 31st and will continue until November 28th. Each team will play four Group Play games and then only eight teams will advance to the Knockout Round. This is decided by which team has the best standing in each of the six groups and one "wild card" or second place team from each conference. The groups consist of:

West Group A:

Oklahoma City Thunder

Minnesota Timberwolves

Sacramento Kings

Phoenix Suns

Utah Jazz

West Group B:

Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Clippers

Memphis Grizzlies

Dallas Mavericks

New Orleans Pelicans

West Group C:

Houston Rockets

Denver Nuggets

Golden State Warriors

Portland Trail Blazers

San Antonio Spurs

East Group A:

Cleveland Cavaliers

Indiana Pacers

Atlanta Hawks

Toronto Raptors

Washington Wizards

East Group B:

Boston Celtics

Detroit Pistons

Orlando Magic

Brooklyn Nets

Philadelphia 76ers

East Group C:

New York Knicks

Milwaukee Bucks

Chicago Bulls

Miami Heat

Charlotte Hornets

Which Teams Have Won So Far?

So far, there has only been one round of group play, leaving a few teams with either a win or a loss. The Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Denver Nuggets have all secured one win as of Tuesday, November 11th. The Toronto Raptors are the only team with two wins overall.

Who Has the Best Starting Odds?

ESPN has a Basketball Power Index (BPI) that they use to make projections about the outcomes of games, seasons, and the NBA Cup. The BPI takes into account using team health and player ability. Let's dive into which teams have the best BPI per group and why.

East Group A:

Group Favorite: Cleveland Cavaliers

Contender: Atlanta Hawks

Though the Cavaliers are dealing with a few injuries on the team, they are still starting off strong. However, the Hawks are right behind them and could be a contender for the wild-card from the East.

East Group B:

Group Favorite: Philadelphia 76ers

Contender: Orlando Magic

Though Boston would've been a major contender originally, Jayson Tatum's right Achilles rupture changed odds severely for the team. The 76ers are a strong team with a 34% BPI, making them the clear group favorite. Though the Orlando Magic most likely won't be the wild card team, they still have a chance in this group play if players like Desmond Bane can help this team secure a few wins.

East Group C:

Group Favorite: New York Knicks

Contenders: Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat

The Knicks are the comfortable favorites in this group, especially since they have the benefit of hosting Milwaukee on the last night of group play. The Bucks have made it to the NBA Cup finals in Las Vegas both years, but that was with Damian Lillard, who now plays for the Portland Trail Blazers and is out for the year with an achilles injury.

West Group A:

Group Favorite: Oklahoma City Thunder

Contender: Minnesota Timberwolves

As the defending NBA Champions, it's no surprise that the Thunder are this group's favorite. They have the best BPI rating in the league but also have an advantage with Minnesota star, Anthony Edwards out with a hamstring strain from opening week. However, Edwards could be back in time to play the Thunder and change odds.

West Group B:

Group Favorite: LA Clippers

Contender: LA Lakers

Though the Lakers might have been the group favorite a few months ago, injuries to Luka Doncic and LeBron James make this team's BPI drop. The Clippers came into the season with the best projection of any team in this group but if James' return is before the game between the Clippers and the Lakers, odds may change again.

West Group C:

Group Favorite: Denver Nuggets

Contender: Houston Rockets

This is the only group with no team given at least a 30% chance of winning so realistically, all teams have the possibility of winning the group stage. Last-place Portland has looked competitive with a win over the Warriors at home, which might change overall odds completely. However, we may not be able to truly tell until the Spurs play the Nuggets in the final game.

Despite predictions using team strength and injuries, the NBA Cup is unpredictable. With each team battling through group play and eyeing the knockout rounds, the tournament has added a new layer of intrigue to the NBA calendar. This year's mix of contenders shows how unpredictable and wide-open the chase for the Cup can be. Whether it's about pride, prize money, or legacy, the NBA Cup has already changed the way that fans and players experience the regular season, and it's only just getting started.

Edited by: Isabella Messerli