NBA's '26-27 schedule features January reunions
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- Giannis Antetokounmpo visits Milwaukee for the first time on Jan. 28 when the Miami Heat play at Fiserv Forum, returning after 13 seasons, two MVP trophies, and the 2021 championship he won with the Bucks.
- Tyler Herro returns to Miami on Feb. 4 with Bucks teammates Kel'el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr. — all sent to Milwaukee in the Antetokounmpo trade — and faces former Heat teammate Bam Adebayo on Jan. 28 first, after the two were involved in a Las Vegas summer league altercation where Adebayo struck Herro.
- Jaylen Brown plays his former Celtics teammates in Philadelphia on Nov. 10, then returns to TD Garden on Jan. 21 — the same night LeBron James plays at Boston as a Sixer for the first time; Boston fans were unhappy with the Brown return package of Paul George, two first-round picks (2028, 2031), and two second-round picks (2028, 2030), while Brown averaged a career-high 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists last season.
- LaMelo Ball returns to Charlotte on Feb. 15 after the Hornets visit Minnesota on Jan. 29; the Hornets traded their star guard despite the second-best turnaround in the league last season, missing the playoffs by one game after a play-in loss to Orlando.
- Trae Young plays at Atlanta for the first time on Nov. 6 with the Washington Wizards, after missing last season's scheduled return due to injury but receiving a video tribute and ovation from Hawks fans.
- AJ Dybantsa, the Wizards' No. 1 pick, makes his pro debut Oct. 21 against Milwaukee, faces No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson on Feb. 27 at Utah, and meets No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg on March 11 at Dallas.
- The defending champion New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden and visit San Antonio on March 7.
Why it matters: Three of the NBA's biggest stars — Giannis (Milwaukee), Jaylen Brown (Boston), and LaMelo Ball (Charlotte) — return to their former homes in an 11-day January window alone, giving the league a concentrated slate of emotionally charged primetime games without having to manufacture new storylines.
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