Sixers And NBA Dates For Your Calendar
By Bret Stuter
Jul 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers players run across center court during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Sixers and NBA Dates For Your Calendar
With the imminence of the NFL roster cuts to 75 players today, it’s brought me to the point of realizing that the NBA season is nearly underway. So it’s as good a time as any to place the Sixers and NBA dates out there for you to reference for the upcoming NBA season. The season will begin at the end of October, and will carry the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers until April 13, 2016 – just two days before “Tax Day”.
So with the arrival of September, let’s just put those key NBA dates and figures out there for you.
The first number to focus on is the NBA salary cap for the 2015-16 season. This year that amount is up to $70 Million dollars, an 11% increase thanks to better than expected gate revenues. The luxury tax threshhold with be set to $84.74 Million. The 2016-17 season will see another bump, as a new $24 billion deal with television media will kick in as well.
Despite the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers running a team with a roster built on youth, Sam Hinkie knows the rules and has avoided penalizing the Sixers by running a roster “too lean” per the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Not so true for the Orlando Magic and the Denver Nuggets, who fell below the 90% league floor for salary. On those teams, players will split the difference.
On September 11, 2015, the NBA will host the NBA Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony. Former 76er Dikembe Mutombo will be honored on this evening.
The preseason schedule begins with the team visiting the Washington Wizards on October 6, 2015.
In fact, the preseason schedule looks like this:
October 6: At Washington Wizards
October 8: Hosting Cleveland Cavaliers
October 10: Hosting Brooklyn Nets
October 12: At New York Knicks
October 16: Hosting Washington Wizards
October 18: at Brooklyn Nets
October 23: at Boston Celtics
The NBA season begins for the Sixers when they visit the Boston Celtics on October 28 at 7:30 PM. They return to Philly for their home opener versus the Utah Jazz on October 30 at 7:00 PM. Over the course of the season, the Sixers will face each NBA team at least once at home and once on the road, including Eastern Conference opponents twice both home and away except for the following: Atlanta (2 home, 1 road), Indiana (2 home, 1 road), Miami (1 home, 2 road) and Milwaukee (1 home, 2 road).
September 25: 2014 NBA Team Media Days for teams competing in preseason games outside North America
September 26: 2014 NBA Training Camps open for practice for teams competing in preseason contests outside North America
September 28: 2014 NBA Team Media Days
September 29: 2013 NBA Training Camps open
October 4: 2014 NBA preseason begins
October 23: 2014 NBA preseason End
October 26: NBA Rosters Established for 2015-2016 Season (5 p.m. ET)
October 27: 2014-15 NBA Regular Season begins
December 3: Boston Celtics vs. Sacramento Kings (in Mexico City)
2016
Jan. 5 — 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10 — All contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Jan. 14 — NBA Global Games 2016, Orlando Magic vs. Toronto Raptors (London)
Feb. 12-14 — NBA All-Star 2016 (Toronto, Canada)
Feb. 18 — Trade deadline, 3 p.m. ET
March 1 — Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline
April 13-16 — Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Portsmouth, VA)
April 13 — Regular Season ends
April 15 — Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2016, 3 p.m. ET
April 16 — NBA Playoffs 2016 begin
April 24 — NBA Early Entry Eligibility Deadline (11:59 p.m. ET)
May 2 — Conference Semifinals begin (possible move up to April 30 or May 1)
May 11-15 — NBA Draft Combine 2016 (Chicago)
May 17 — Conference Finals begin (possible move up to May 15 or 16)
May 17 — NBA Draft Lottery 2016
June 2 — NBA Finals 2016 begin
June 13 — NBA Draft Early Entry Entrant Withdrawal Deadline (5:00 p.m. ET)
TBD — The Finals 2016 latest possible date
June 23 — NBA Draft 2016
Set your calendars now, as we will have a lot to talk about in a couple weeks.