The Grizzlies open 2026 NBA Cup group play against Oklahoma City after narrowly missing the Western Conference wild card last season.
The Memphis Grizzlies will start Emirates NBA Cup group play at FedExForum against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, Nov. 6.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET).
The NBA released the group play schedule Wednesday, placing Memphis in West Group B with Oklahoma City, Minnesota, the LA Clippers, and New Orleans. The Grizzlies will play twice at FedExForum and twice on the road.
Memphis visits New Orleans on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. The Clippers play at FedExForum on Nov. 25, and the schedule concludes in Minnesota two nights later.
That Nov. 27 game starts at 7:30 p.m. local time.
Three of Memphis's four games occur on Fridays.
The Grizzlies didn't have a national TV game during group play. The only West Group B game on a national schedule is Minnesota at Oklahoma City on Nov. 25, airing on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Grizzlies Missed Knockout Rounds by Point Differential
Memphis went 3-1 in last year's tournament and still did not advance.
The Grizzlies closed group play with a 112-107 win over the Clippers in Los Angeles on Nov. 28. Phoenix ended up taking the Western Conference wild card because of point differential.
Memphis had gone 1-3 in the 2024 tournament, when Dallas and New Orleans were also part of its group.
Eight teams advance to the Knockout Rounds. All six group winners get in, along with the best second-place team from each conference.
For teams tied within the same group, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head result. Point differential follows, then total points scored and 2025-26 regular season record.
A random drawing breaks ties if teams are even. Overtime points aren't included in league calculations of point differential and total points.
The Quarterfinals are on Dec. 4-5, Semifinals on Dec. 8-9, with higher seeds hosting both rounds.
Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis will host the Championship on Dec. 11. Prime Video has the broadcast.
Every Cup game before the Championship also counts toward the regular season standings.
Memphis Has a Different Roster This Time
The Grizzlies who take the floor against Oklahoma City will look much different from the group that went 3-1 last year.
Memphis finished 25-57 in 2025-26 and placed 13th in the Western Conference. Ja Morant was traded to Portland on June 29 for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.
Santi Aldama was sent to Dallas, and Isaiah Stewart came over from Detroit. Memphis also signed Quinten Post.
The draft added another group of young players.
Cameron Boozer went third overall after averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists at Duke. He shot 55.6% from the field.
Memphis also selected Karim López at No. 16 and Richie Saunders in the second round. Saunders is recovering from a torn ACL and was not on the Grizzlies' summer league roster.
Tuomas Iisalo is heading into his second full season as Grizzlies coach.
The roster still is not finished. Memphis carried 19 players on standard contracts this summer and remains active on the trade market. The Grizzlies have to get that number down to 15 before the regular season begins.
Their NBA Cup schedule starts Nov. 6 against Oklahoma City.
