Toronto Raptors NBA Cup Game Schedule Announced

With the official announcement of the Opening Week and Christmas Day NBA schedules, fans continue to get excited about the 2026-27 season rapidly approaching. Apparently, the Toronto Raptors aren’t popular enough to earn the honor of playing in any of the biggest games of the regular season. However, this isn’t the first time the team has been disrespected, and they are ready to show how they truly feel about it. 

Not only has the team been slighted when it comes to respect as a championship contender, but the players haven’t been given the credit they deserve either. Seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard has received more than enough criticism over the course of his career for his injury history, but the scandal involving the Los Angeles Clippers and former lead sponsor Aspiration surely hasn’t helped either. His playful demeanor has shown fans that he isn’t stressing about the drama that has occurred over the last 11 months, and he appears to be ready to go for training camp in Quebec City with the Raptors.

Franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes hasn’t been given criticism, however his credit has been severely lacking as well. Last season, he was the clear leader of a team making its first playoff berth in four seasons, and he did so on both ends of the floor. Finishing fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, he was somehow pushed to the All-Defensive Second Team by the same voters. Simultaneously, he was snubbed entirely from the three All-NBA Teams, even though he is clearly acknowledged as one of the best two-way players in the game. 

A couple of games where the Raptors really get to prove their dominance will come in the NBA Cup this season. The pool-play schedule was released, showing four games in five weeks: home against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 30th, away against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 6th, away against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 20th (nationally televised), and home against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 27th. 

In an Eastern Conference that should be one of the most competitive in the 21st century, the Nets and Bucks are consistently viewed as bottom-three teams. The Magic are one of the most polarizing teams in the NBA due to their incredibly high ceiling and low floor. Finally, the Pistons aren’t being seen as a top seed and 60-win team as they were last season, but they should still be a legitimate contender to come out of the East. With one of the easiest groups in the entire league, the Raptors have a real chance to come out on top and advance to the NBA Cup playoffs. If there is any place that they can really establish themselves as one of the top teams in the league early on, this is the place to do it. Just ask the reigning champion New York Knicks, who became the first team to win both the NBA Cup and NBA Finals in the same season.