With the NBA schedule out—and if you’re among those who are shaking your heads at the fact we are at that stage of the offseason, you’re not alone—it’s time to spotlight some of the more interesting games on the 2024–25 calendar. That includes a potential Olympic grudge match, a historic father-son moment and what should be one of the great homecomings in recent memory. 

Ring night in Boston means the Knicks will have the (dis)pleasure of watching the Celtics collect some new hardware and raise their NBA-record 18th championship banner. It will also be an early test for the new-look Knicks, who beyond fleshing out their roster with more Villanova DNA also made a big bet on wing defenders, adding Mikal Bridges to a roster that includes O.G. Anunoby and Josh Hart. To beat Boston, you have to slow Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. New York believes it has built a team that can do just that.

Who knows if a 20-year-old Bronny James will be on the Lakers’ active roster on opening night; James figures to get a lot of reps with the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers’ G League affiliate, next season. But L.A.’s prime-time date with Minnesota will be the first opportunity to witness history, when LeBron James and Bronny James become the first father-son duo to share an NBA floor. Oh, yeah, and there is a pretty good Lakers-Wolves matchup, too. 

French fans overseas might want to shake up the sleep schedule this week with the top two 2024 NBA draft picks—Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr—set to face off in a Wizards/Hawks home-and-home (second game on Oct. 30). While the 2024 draft class doesn’t have the sizzle of the ’23 class—particularly at the top—Risacher, a skilled, catch-and-shoot wing and Sarr, a shot-swatting center, have the potential to revitalize a pair of struggling franchises. 

Victor Wembanyama–Chet Holmgren has a very Magic Johnson–Larry Bird vibe, if Johnson and Bird played in the same conference and possessed freaky physical tools. The Thunder went 3–1 against the Spurs last season, tattooing San Antonio by an average of 33 points in their three wins. The Spurs, though, have added reinforcements, most notably Chris Paul, which should make these matchups more competitive next season.  

Golden State’s recent slide has taken some of the sizzle out of a matchup between these former NBA Finals rivals but this one has an added layer of intrigue following Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s decision to bench Jayson Tatum during USA Basketball’s gold-medal winning effort at the Paris Olympics. Is Tatum a little salty about Kerr’s roster management? Will there be anything extra flowing through the All-NBA forward? We’ll find out. 

We won’t have to wait long for Paul George’s return to Los Angeles. George’s defection to Philadelphia created (potentially) a new Eastern Conference power while weakening the Clippers in the process. Could be a chilly reception for George inside the new Intuit Dome.

After 13 seasons as a Warrior, four of which ended with championships, Klay Thompson will walk—or maybe boat—into the Chase Center as a visiting player. Thompson, who signed a three-year, $50 million deal with Dallas this summer, will make the first of two visits to the Bay in November. If you thought you heard raucous ovations before—stick around for this one. 

A Finals preview? If there’s a natural rival to Boston it’s Oklahoma City, which has built a team in the Celtics’ image (long, athletic, versatile) and improved on it in the offseason, adding Isaiah Hartenstein to solve its rebounding problems and reinforcing its wing depth with three-and-D guard Alex Caruso. The Thunder weren’t ready for prime time last season—Oklahoma City was bounced by Dallas in the second round. A midseason matchup with Boston will offer a barometer for where they stand.  

For various reasons, mostly injury related, Joel Embiid has not played in Denver since 2019. That has not gone unnoticed by Nuggets fans, who chanted, “Where’s Embiid at?” after Embiid was a late scratch from the game last January. The friendly rivalry between Embiid and Nikola Jokic, the two most recent MVPs, will resume in Denver a year later—hopefully with both in uniform.

No, a Kevin Durant return to Oklahoma City isn’t as meaningful as it once was. But Phoenix’s last game before the trade deadline could be. The Suns’ superteam experiment failed last season and while Mat Ishbia doubled down in the offseason, returning the starting five, extending Grayson Allen and adding Tyus Jones to the mix, it will be worth watching where Phoenix stands in early February.