NHBA Execs Push to Reduce Back-to-Back Games in 2026-27 Season
22 September 2026
The NBA released the 2026-27 regular-season schedule on August 13, highlighting a reduction of back-to-back games across the board. While long-term solutions to player workload, travel, and scheduling challenges remain a priority, the league has taken steps toward addressing them in the immediate future.
For the 2026-27 season, the NBA stated that teams will average 13.8 back-to-backs, the lowest figure since the introduction of the Emirates NBA Cup in 2022. This marks a significant change from the past five seasons, where teams averaged 16.9 back-to-backs according to league data. With fewer back-to-backs, NBA players and organizations could benefit from reduced injury risk, fewer high-profile absences during national broadcasts, and improved competitive balance for marquee matchups.
How did the NBA cut back on back-to-back games?
The league implemented several schedule adjustments to achieve this reduction:
1) It eliminated the most demanding travel sequences: No team will play four games in five nights, seven games in twelve nights, or seventeen games in thirty nights this season. The NBA also delayed the first nationally-televised game until late October 2026.
2) It redistributed games near national television windows rather than bunching them together.
Internal reports suggest these changes follow growing concerns about player health raised by team executives. Last season, Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, published an article advocating for schedule modifications to better balance star player usage with team performance goals.
While the league cites player welfare as the primary motivation for these changes, broadcast partners continue to debate whether the NBA playoffs span too many weeks. With the 2026-27 regular season schedule now set, playoff duration remains the major scheduling controversy.
The league has assigned 80 games as of August 13, with 120 total games (four per team) remaining to be scheduled in coming weeks - all falling within the Emirates NBA Cup framework. This tournament will run from mid-March to early April, with a flexible two-week finale window allowing for potential adjustments.
Although the 2026-27 schedule doesn't completely overhaul the NBA's back-to-back structure, it does implement meaningful reductions that team executives have requested. By prioritizing player availability, television exposure, and competitive fairness, the league has eliminated the most punishing travel sequences while giving national audiences better opportunities to see teams at full strength.
