Two years ago the Raptors went 1–3 in the Emirates NBA Cup and went home early. Last year they flipped it completely: 4–0 in group play, a first-ever knockout berth, and a quarterfinal run. Now Kawhi Leonard is back in Toronto, and the 2026 draw has handed the Raptors their most winnable group yet. Four Friday games decide how far this goes.
One problem for fans: those four games are scattered across league listings, ticket pages and paywalled schedules, with TV details split between the United States and Canada. The essentials are collected here in one place — dates, tip times, broadcasts, an honest ranking of the four teams in the way, and the exact math of reaching the knockout rounds.
The Four Friday Games
Toronto’s group slate runs October 30 to November 27: two games at home, two on the road.
| Date | Game | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 30 | Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors | Scotiabank Arena | 7:30 p.m. |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks | Fiserv Forum | 8:00 p.m. |
| Fri, Nov 20 | Toronto Raptors at Detroit Pistons | Little Caesars Arena | 7:30 p.m. |
| Fri, Nov 27 | Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors | Scotiabank Arena | 7:30 p.m. |
Only the November 20 trip to Detroit is on national television. The other three stream on League Pass, with SiriusXM radio coverage on all four.
See every group play matchup, home and away, for the full tournament slate beyond Toronto.
From 1–3 to 4–0: How Toronto Got Here
No team in this group has a wilder recent Cup history than the Raptors. The 2024 edition was rock bottom — a 1–3 record and elimination. Twelve months later Toronto ripped through group play unbeaten and clinched its first knockout berth with a 140–110 rout of Washington, before falling to the Knicks, who went on to lift the trophy.
| Year | Group | Record | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | East Group C | 1–3 | Missed the knockouts |
| 2024 | East Group B | 1–3 | Eliminated in group play |
| 2025 | East Group A | 4–0 | Quarterfinals; lost to the eventual champion Knicks |
| 2026 | East Group A | TBD | To be decided |
Toronto has still never won the NBA Cup. But a roster that just added Leonard to a group-stage-tested core starts this year as a genuine contender to win East Group A, not just survive it.
East Group A, Ranked by Threat
Ranked by danger, not by name — here are the four teams standing between Toronto and December, from the biggest threat down.
| Threat | Team | Why they are dangerous |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit Pistons | Went 60–22 last season and opened as +155 favorites to win the group, well clear of Toronto (+230). The Nov 20 meeting in Detroit is the probable group decider. |
| 2 | Orlando Magic | Matched Toronto’s perfect 4–0 group record last year and sit at +250. The Oct 30 opener is a battle of last season’s two dominant East group teams. |
| 3 | Milwaukee Bucks | A tricky road opener on Nov 6 at Fiserv Forum. An early slip here would put immediate pressure on the Detroit and Orlando games. |
| 4 | Brooklyn Nets | Added Julius Randle this offseason, but ranked 26th in defensive rating last season, per Sports Illustrated. The Nov 27 home finale is Toronto’s softest matchup of the group stage. |
Read the full East Group A preview, or compare against all six NBA Cup 2026 groups.
Where East Group A Gets Won and Lost
Milwaukee on Nov 6 matters, but these three nights carry the most weight.
Oct 30 vs Orlando: the tone-setter
Someone takes a first group loss on opening night. A home win gives Toronto the head-to-head edge over its closest pursuer — the first tiebreaker if the two finish level. Watch the Scottie Barnes matchup on the wing; it could decide a tight fourth quarter.
Nov 20 at Detroit: the toughest test
The toughest game on the slate, on the biggest stage — Prime Video, in Detroit, against the group favorite. If Toronto wants to win East Group A outright rather than sweat out a wild-card race, this is very likely the game it has to steal.
Nov 27 vs Brooklyn: the math game
The home finale doubles as a Cup theme night at Scotiabank Arena. If Toronto arrives at 2–1 or 3–0, the final margin here could decide a wild-card spot on point differential. Style points count: a comfortable win over Brooklyn is exactly the result the tiebreakers reward.
The Knockout Math: What Toronto Needs
Eight teams reach the knockout stage: the six group winners, plus one wild card per conference — the second-place team with the best group-play record. Toronto advances by winning East Group A outright, or by finishing second with a better record than every other Eastern runner-up.
If teams finish tied, the widely reported tiebreaker order is head-to-head record, then point differential, then total points scored, then last season’s record, then a random draw. Note that the Raptors’ official announcement confirms only the wild-card rule and does not publish the full sequence, so treat that order as reported rather than official.
It comes down to two games. Win at Detroit on Nov 20 and Toronto almost certainly takes East Group A outright — a road win over the favorite settles the head-to-head edge that decides most ties. Lose that one but beat Orlando on Oct 30, and the Raptors can still finish second with a record strong enough to claim the East’s wild-card spot. Lose both, and the Nov 27 finale against Brooklyn turns into a margin chase: win big and hope the point-differential column bails Toronto out, because a 2–2 record rarely survives the runner-up comparison.
From there it is single elimination: quarterfinals December 4–5, semifinals December 8–9, all hosted in team markets.
Watch It or Be There
| Game | US TV / Stream | Canada | Radio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30 vs Orlando | League Pass | To be announced | SiriusXM |
| Nov 6 at Milwaukee | League Pass | To be announced | SiriusXM |
| Nov 20 at Detroit | Prime Video | To be announced | SiriusXM |
| Nov 27 vs Brooklyn | League Pass | To be announced | SiriusXM |
For app, cost and blackout details, see the NBA Cup streaming guide.
Prefer to be in the building? Both home games are at Scotiabank Arena — October 30 against Orlando and November 27 against Brooklyn, tipping at 7:30 p.m. ET. Check where to buy NBA Cup tickets for trusted options.
Key Dates Beyond Group Play
- Cup Nights: Oct 30, Nov 6, 13, 20, 24, 25, 27
- Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec 4 and Saturday, Dec 5
- Semifinals: Tuesday, Dec 8 and/or Wednesday, Dec 9
- Championship: Friday, Dec 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, on Prime Video — the first championship staged anywhere other than Las Vegas
As in past years, every Cup result outside the final itself lands in the regular-season record. See the complete tournament schedule with dates, matchups and TV for the full 60-game slate.
Raptors Cup Questions, Answered
What group are the Raptors in for the 2026 NBA Cup?
East Group A, with the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.
When are Toronto’s NBA Cup games?
Four Fridays: Oct 30 vs Orlando (home, 7:30 p.m. ET), Nov 6 at Milwaukee (8 p.m. ET), Nov 20 at Detroit (7:30 p.m. ET), and Nov 27 vs Brooklyn (home, 7:30 p.m. ET).
How does Toronto reach the knockout rounds?
By winning East Group A, or by finishing second with the best group-play record among all Eastern Conference runners-up — the wild card.
What if Toronto ties Detroit or Orlando in the group?
The reported tiebreaker order is head-to-head record, then point differential, then total points scored.
What would Raptors players earn for winning the Cup?
The 2026 prize pool has not been announced. As a reference point, every player on last year’s championship team took home $530,933. See the NBA Cup prize money page for the full breakdown.
More NBA Cup coverage: nbacuplive.com · Follow the other contenders: Spurs schedule · 76ers schedule · Thunder schedule
Schedule details verified against the NBA’s official Raptors schedule announcement and the official NBA Cup 2026 schedule listing (August 12, 2026).