The NBA released the schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 season on Thursday, highlighting the opening week’s slate of games, matchups on Christmas Day as well as the third edition of Rivalry Week. We’re just over two months away from Opening Night on Oct. 22, so all attention between now and then will be on the excitement for next season. But beyond all the intrigue around matchups like Klay Thompson’s return to the Bay Area on Nov. 12, or Paul George returning to play the Clippers on Nov. 6, another interesting wrinkle with the schedule release is looking at which teams will be seen the most on a national stage.
The league never puts a focus on telling us which teams are getting the most nationally televised games, but it doesn’t take too much time to scan through every team’s schedule and figure out where they all rank in that category. At the top of the list is nothing too surprising — you’ve got the biggest brands in the leagues leading the way, as well as the reigning champions. But looking at which teams are getting the most games on national television also tells us which squads or players the league views as being on the rise and which ones have fallen out of favor in terms of interest. You can also see how offseason moves impact the number of games each team gets on national television.
With that being said, let’s look at where all 30 teams rank in nationally televised games for the 2024-25 season and give some insight into why they are where they are. For the purpose of this, only games on ESPN/ABC and TNT will count as nationally televised games, as NBATV is not a channel everyone gets.
Number of nationally televised games: 1
This isn’t surprising in the slightest. What is surprising is the Wizards’ lone nationally televised game is a Jan. 16 meeting with the Phoenix Suns at home. I was expecting the league to have either one of the Oct. 28 or Oct. 30 matchups pitting the No. 1 pick in this summer’s draft Zaccharie Risacher against No. 2 pick Alex Starr when the Wizards have a home-and-home against the Hawks. But the league clearly didn’t favor either of those games.
Number of nationally televised games: 1
Just a couple of years ago, the Raptors would have fallen somewhere on the middle of this list, but trading away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, losing Fred VanVleet in free agency and a litany of other moves signaled they were pivoting towards a youth movement. That has knocked them down a few pegs. Still, I thought their young core featuring Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett would’ve garnered at least a couple more nationally televised games. At least we’ll watch them face the Knicks on national television on Jan. 8.
Number of nationally televised games: 1
The Blazers are rebuilding, so there’s not a ton of national interest in this team. Couple that with a slow start out of the gates for the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NAB Draft in Scoot Henderson, and Portland’s only got one nationally televised game. They’ll host former Blazers star Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 28 for their primetime slot.
Number of nationally televised games: 1
The Pistons will host the 76ers in their lone nationally televised game of the season on Feb. 7. The team underwent a slew of offseason changes, from the front office to new coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The team hopes that this is the year they can finally show some steps forward in their rebuilding process.
Number of nationally televised games: 1
A couple of years ago, the Hornets felt like a budding team on the cusp of gaining national attention because of the exciting players on their team. But injuries to LaMelo Ball dampened that excitement — and progress — so instead, they’re routinely near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They’ll have a nationally televised game against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 17 in a battle of the Ball brothers, and unlike previous years due to injuries to both LaMelo and Lonzo Ball, this may finally be the year that matchup happens.
Number of nationally televised games: 1
The Nets finally waved the white flag after trading Mikal Bridges to the Knicks this summer, and they’re fully entering their rebuilding era. This team would’ve ranked in the top five of this list just two years ago, but the Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden are no longer there. Brooklyn’s fall from the top of the league has been far, and their only appearance on the national stage will be hosting the Knicks on Jan. 21.
Number of nationally televised games: 2
It’s surprising that the Jazz have one more game than the teams below them on this list, but the league has clearly determined that the interest is there to warrant two nationally televised games. They’ll host Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves on Jan. 30 and then travel to the Suns for another primetime spot.
23. Chicago Bulls
Number of nationally televised games: 2
The Bulls are a great “What If” thought exercise from a few years ago. Had Lonzo Ball not gotten injured, things might’ve gone differently for this franchise, but instead, they’ll be entering the year with the fewest expectations in about four years.
22. Atlanta Hawks
Number of nationally televised games: 2
Landing the No. 1 overall pick didn’t do enough to elevate the Hawks on this list, and funnily enough, both of their nationally televised games will be against last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Victor Wembanyama, and the Spurs.
Number of nationally televised games: 3
Houston has the potential to be a play-in team this season, so we may look back on this list and say they should’ve gotten more of the national spotlight. With young rising stars in Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and the elder statesman in VanVleet, Houston has all the pieces and can be an entertaining team to watch next season.
Number of nationally televised games: 5
A playoff appearance and an All-Star nod for Paolo Banchero didn’t pull enough weight for the Magic to be higher on this list. They play stout defense and have low-scoring affairs, which typically don’t entice the average fan to watch them play. But they had one of the best first-round series against the Cavaliers last season, pushing them to seven games. Don’t sleep on how exciting the Magic are.
Number of nationally televised games: 6
After ending a playoff drought two seasons ago, the Kings fell off a bit last season, so this spot makes sense. And in a crowded Western Conference, it will be a tough task for the Kings to return to the playoffs. But they’re an electrifying team on offense, which just added DeMar DeRozan to the roster. They should probably have a few more games if only to see them light the beam after a win.
Number of nationally televised games: 7
The Heat are such a confusing team. They’re average in the regular season and usually limp into the playoffs, yet most years, they end up making some magical deep run in the postseason. But this year, more than others, it feels like that magic may have run out, and the lack of nationally televised games signals that.
17. Cleveland Cavaliers
Number of nationally televised games: 8
Middle of the pack makes sense for the Cavaliers. They have a star in Donovan Mitchell, but he’s not quite as big as the teams and players ahead of him on this list. And while Cleveland made it to the second round of the playoffs last season, that clearly wasn’t enough for them to slot higher on this list.
Number of nationally televised games: 9
A few years ago, Zion Williamson alone would’ve catapulted the Pelicans way higher on this list. Still, his recurring injuries make the Pelicans a risky team to throw on national television. When healthy, New Orleans is an electrifying team, but getting a clean bill of health has been a constant issue for them. Perhaps this is the year the injury bug doesn’t strike them as bad.
Number of nationally televised games: 9
After a suspension and then season-ending surgery for Ja Morant, last season was a lost year for the Grizzlies. So it can be hard to remember that before then, the Grizzlies were one of the most entertaining teams in the league, highlighted by Morant’s superstar play and personality. With him back in tow this season, this low number of national games will look like a misstep, but they’ll surely be electrifying every time they take the national stage.
14. Los Angeles Clippers
Number of nationally televised games: 9
Paul George is gone, but Kawhi Leonard and James Harden are still there. Injuries always get in the way for the Clippers. Nine games seem fair, given that you need to check the injury report a million times before the Clippers play, so there are no complaints here.
Number of nationally televised games: 9
Tyrese Haliburton got some MVP chatter at the start of last season, and the Pacers had a historically great offense en route to the Eastern Conference finals. I’m surprised they actually don’t have more games, but if they keep on the trajectory they’re on, that number will hopefully only rise going forward.
12. San Antonio Spurs
Number of nationally televised games: 13
Now we’re getting into the double digits, and if you’re surprised that the Spurs rank this high, you shouldn’t be. That’s the power of Victor Wembanyama, who, after a stellar showing during France’s silver-medal Olympics run, returns to San Antonio to put the rest of the league on notice. This time, he’s got Chris Paul in the backcourt. The Spurs will be must-watch television, even if they don’t win many games.
Number of nationally televised games: 15
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP voting, Chet Holmgren was Rookie of the Year runner-up, and the Thunder finished first atop the Western Conference and made it to the second round of the playoffs. They added Alex Caruso to the mix and still have a vault filled with valuable picks for improvement. This is a team on a quick rise, and in all honesty, it should have more games than some of the teams listed above. They’re a small market team with a passionate fanbase and one of the best homecourt advantages in the league, hopefully the league takes notice going forward that they’re deserving of more national attention.
10. Milwaukee Bucks
Number of nationally televised games: 17
Injuries derailed the Bucks last season, resulting in a first-round playoff loss to the Pacers. But this number of nationally televised games is based on the star power of Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s been one of the faces of the league for the last few years, and while the Bucks aren’t the dominant force they were when they won a championship in 2021, they’re still going to garner a great deal of national attention.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
Number of nationally televised games: 18
The Timberwolves are box office. More specifically, Anthony Edwards is box office. You could give the Timberwolves 30 games and I wouldn’t be mad about it. The personality this team exudes is just a joy to watch and was one of the best stories to come out of last season’s playoffs. They didn’t tweak the roster much, so we’ll see if they can repeat last season’s success, but on the strength of Edwards alone they deserve this spot.
8. Phoenix Suns
Number of nationally televised games: 19
I’m surprised about this number of games for the Suns. Yes, Kevin Durant is one of the brightest stars in the league, while he and Devin Booker are coming off a gold-medal finish at the Olympics. But the Suns struggled heavily last season with their lack of depth, an issue they didn’t really address all that much this offseason. They only have one more game than the Timberwolves, but I definitely think Minnesota and Oklahoma City should be ahead of them here.
7. Philadelphia 76ers
Number of nationally televised games: 21
Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George: enough said. The Sixers will be one of the most intriguing teams this season as they try to break through to the Eastern Conference finals. As long as Embiid stays healthy, Philadelphia should finish near the top of the East, which warrants this many nationally televised games.
Number of nationally televised games: 22
This is going to be a pivotal season for the Nuggets. They’re only two years removed from a championship, but what looked like a dynasty in the making is slowly turning into a team that may need to make some difficult decisions in the near future. But Nikola Jokic and his three MVPs warrant this kind of national respect, even if he isn’t the most outgoing star in the league.
Number of nationally televised games: 23
Coming off a surprising run to the NBA Finals, and then adding Klay Thompson to a mix that already has Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Dallas enters this season as one of the most exciting teams in the league. Last season, we saw how electrifying the Mavericks can be on offense, and that should remain the same with Doncic and Irving in the backcourt.
4. New York Knicks
Number of nationally televised games: 24
The Knicks are back! No, really this time. By far, they had the best offseason in adding Anunoby, trading for Bridges and signing Jalen Brunson to an ultra-team-friendly contract. They’re well equipped to challenge the Celtics at the top of the East and are generally just a fun team to watch at Madison Square Garden.
Number of nationally televised games: 24
The Warriors didn’t do much in the offseason to suggest they can improve upon last season’s play-in tournament exit, but having Stephen Curry on your team carries a ton of weight when it comes down to figuring out which teams will get the most nationally televised games. The one game circled on everyone’s calendar is when Klay Thompson returns to the Bay Area on Nov. 12, which should be a warm welcome from Warriors fans. But you can bet that matchup will have all sorts of emotion and trash talking on both sides.
2. Boston Celtics
Number of nationally televised games: 26
If I’m making the schedule, the team that just won the championship should undoubtedly have the most nationally televised games, but that’s just me. There’s only a one-game difference between the No. 1 and No. 2 spot on this list, but when you consider the team ranked first here didn’t even make it out of the first round of the playoffs, it can feel a little disrespectful to Boston. And they’ll surely use that as motivation for this season to try to defend their title, which, by the way, they’re more than well-equipped to do so.
Number of nationally televised games: 27
Is anyone surprised? It’s the biggest brand in the NBA, and the biggest star in the league is LeBron James. Even when the Lakers were trotting out lottery teams during Kobe Bryant’s final years in the league, the Lakers still consistently ranked near the top of nationally televised games. This team is nowhere near as bad as those squads, but this isn’t a roster deserving of nearly 30 nationally televised games. However, with LeBron and his son Bronny James on the same team and new coach JJ Redick, the Lakers will be among the most talked about teams regardless of their record.
