The 2023-24 NBA season is just around the corner, which means preseason is even closer as teams gear up for the official campaign start. Preseason officially begins on October 5 with the first game seeing the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves face off in the first of back-to-back meetings in Abu Dhabi.
Those two sides will play at the same venue, Emirates Arena, again on October 7 before the Mavericks head to Spain to take on the reigning EuroLeague champions Real Madrid. That weekend will also see plenty of other teams begin their preseason journeys as the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors get the domestic preseason underway on the 7th.
Canada will host some preseason play as well, with the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings facing off in Vancouver on October 8. Montreal will host one as the Detroit Pistons take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 12 at Bell Centre. Those two teams will meet up again on October 19 at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Utah Jazz will take on the Los Angeles Clippers at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i, with all the proceeds going to benefit relief efforts for the devastating wildfires suffered earlier this year. The two sides will meet again just two days later at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Teams usually play anywhere from three to six games during the preseason stretch, with most teams playing four or five. Preseason runs until October 20, ending just a few days before the 2023-24 season begins on October 24.