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The 2026 NBA Finals will be played with a slightly altered schedule this June, which may result in there being more time between the league crowning its champion and the NBA Draft. Last season's Game 7 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers came only 72 hours prior to Cooper Flagg going No. 1 overall in the draft.

Moving to a Wednesday-Friday-Monday-Wednesday for the first four games of the Finals beginning June 3 means there's less wait between games with the possibility of a Game 7 coming on June 19, which would allow for more time before the NBA Draft that's typically end toward the end of the month. The revised NBA Finals schedule does not cut into the standard rest cycle between games while also maintaining the travel day when the series shifts between cities.

NBA Finals 2026 schedule

  • Game 1: Wednesday, June 3
  • Game 2: Friday, June 5
  • Game 3: Monday, June 8
  • Game 4: Wednesday, June 10
  • Game 5: Saturday, June 13 (if necessary)
  • Game 6: Tuesday, June 16 (if necessary)
  • Game 7: Friday, June 19 (if necessary)

League commissioner Adam Silver said last June the NBA is also considering the return of the giant midcourt Finals logos for 2026 after doing away with them in 2014. By Game 2 of the OKC-Indiana series in 2025, the NBA utilized digital graphics on court during broadcasts, but the negative response was heard loud and clear.

"To be honest, I hadn't thought all that much about it until I [saw] it [on social media]," Silver said. "I'm nostalgic, as well, for certain things. And also, I think for a media-driven culture, whether it's people watching live or seeing those images on social media. It's nice when you're looking back on highlights and they stand out because you see that trophy logo or some other indication that it's a special event. So, we'll look at it."

On-court graphics often cause slippery conditions, according to player complaints through the years.