The San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers headline West Group C in the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup, a group that also includes the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings.
Group play begins Oct. 30, giving the five teams an early-season benchmark in a field that mixes recent contenders with clubs still trying to climb back into the playoff picture.
Why West Group C stands out
The Spurs and Lakers have had the most success in the NBA Cup among the five teams in the group. The Lakers won the inaugural in-season competition in 2023, while the Spurs won their group in 2025 and advanced all the way to the championship game.
That same 2025 run also carried the Spurs into the NBA Finals, a notable turnaround for a team that had not reached the NBA Finals since 2014 before that season. San Antonio’s surge has been tied in part to Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick who is expected to return as a stronger force after missing 12 games with a calf strain in 2025.
The Lakers also enter with a recent track record in this event, while the rest of the group brings a different kind of intrigue. The Trail Blazers ended a four-year playoff drought in 2025, and the Warriors and Kings were eliminated in the Play-In and sent to the Draft Lottery.
That creates a useful early test for all five teams. For the Spurs and Lakers, West Group C is a chance to reinforce contender status. For the Trail Blazers, Warriors and Kings, it is an opportunity to show how much ground they have gained before the season settles in.
The NBA Cup has already produced meaningful moments for these teams, and this group gives it another clear storyline. If you want a broader look at how the tournament is shaping up around the league, the upcoming schedule also includes other notable national spots, including the Wizards Schedule: Nov. 24 Celtics clash on NBC is the headline, but the real story is a team still trying to escape NBA Cup misery, as well as Black Friday 2026 NBA Cup doubleheader includes Heat vs. Knicks — Miami Heat Schedule gets a national spotlight and Wizards Host Celtics in NBC’s Sole NBA Cup Doubleheader as Celtics Schedule Takes Shape.
