Breaking Down Brooklyn Nets' 2026 NBA Cup Group

Mar 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez reacts during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Breaking Down Brooklyn Nets' 2026 NBA Cup Group

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Ivan White | Last updated Jul 1, 2026 7:00 PM ET

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The NBA Cup has become a fun staple of the early stages of the season, and the league gave a glimpse into what next season’s edition will look like.

On Tuesday night, the NBA’s offseason chaos was in full swing as the start of free agency was officially underway. As news of teams agreeing to deals with free agents steadily poured in throughout the night, the NBA also dropped some news of its own, announcing the NBA Cup groups for the 2026-27 season.

Once again, the NBA Cup will feature three groups of five teams in each conference with the winners of each group and one wild card from each conference advancing to the knockout stage. Also announcing the move of the final from Vegas to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indiana, the NBA Cup should have another interesting run next season.

As for the Brooklyn Nets, they’ll look much different than they did the last time they played an NBA Cup game. From the trade for Julius Randle to early free agent signings such as Moe Wagner and Keon Ellis, the Nets are a bit of a wild card as far as the NBA Cup is concerned.

As part of East Group A, the Nets will be competing against the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks. With home games against the Pistons and Magic and trips to Milwaukee and Toronto, the Nets will have their hands full as they look to make a surprise run to the knockout stage.

The groups are set for the Emirates NBA Cup 2026!

All 30 NBA teams were randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on win-loss records from the 2025-26 regular season.

The groups are available below. pic.twitter.com/bZHTlRGs29
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 1, 2026

While the Magic, who finished 45-37 and as the No. 8 seed last season, will bring back largely the same team, the rest of the group may look drastically different. Detroit’s offseason has been headlined by the additions of Isaiah Joe and John Collins, but it’s also lost Tobias Harris to San Antonio, Isaiah Stewart to Memphis and is in an ongoing saga with the restricted free agency of All-Star big Jalen Duren. Still, the No. 1 seed from last season making a trip to Brooklyn should make for a fun NBA Cup matchup.

While the Nets have been near the bottom of the league for a couple of years, they might emerge as the favorites to at least win their Cup matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, who look much different after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. Finally, the Nets will also have a chance to make a statement on the road when they head to Toronto to face the new-look (or perhaps old-look) Raptors after their trade for Kawhi Leonard.

All-in-all, the Nets’ NBA Cup group projects to be one of the most entertaining in the league, and if Brooklyn can steal a couple of games, Jordi Fernandez and company might just send a message that the Nets are ready to compete.