How Tough is the Houston Rockets’ NBA Cup Schedule?

On Wednesday, the schedule was revealed for the 2026 NBA Cup. The in-season tournament was established in 2023, with the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and New York Knicks each winning the NBA Cup.

Last year, the Houston Rockets finished with a 2-2 record in the group stage. Houston failed to advance to the knockout rounds due to a tiebreaker favoring the Denver Nuggets.

For the next edition of the tournament, the Rockets are slated to face off against the Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz. As the dust of the offseason continues to settle, there are questions about how Houston will fare with each franchise having an opportunity to retool.

Group Play

Coming off a season as the third seed in the Western Conference, the Nuggets are expected to be Houston’s biggest challenge in the NBA Cup. Denver did not make any major offseason moves, but there is no need after four consecutive 50+ win seasons. Led by consistent MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, this will be one of Alperen Sengun’s greatest tests of the regular season.

With Cooper Flagg heading into his sophomore season and Kyrie Irving returning from injury, it is expected that the Mavericks will have a stronger team than last season’s lineup that finished 26-56. Dallas had a 2-2 record against the Rockets, which only adds pressure to the matchup.

The Suns acquired Miles Bridges this offseason, but the core of Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Dillon Brooks has not made many waves. The middle-of-the-pack contenders finished as the eighth seed in the Western Conference, though they were swept 4-0 by the Rockets in clear fashion last season.

Similar to the Suns, the Jazz should be considered the Rockets’ lesser threats in their path to the NBA Cup. Finishing with the worst record in the Western Conference, Utah is in the midst of a rebuild. Although the Jazz drafted promising rookie Darryn Peterson with the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the franchise has not made a playoff appearance in four years, and there haven’t been enough strides to suggest that the trend will change.

Overall, the Rockets hold a favorable position in the NBA Cup. With Kevin Durant still playing at an All-Star level and Fred VanVleet returning from injury, there is more potential than there was in 2025. Based on the lineup of opponents, the divisional rival matchup with the Mavericks may be the determining factor in whether Houston advances to the knockout rounds.