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The Brooklyn Nets announced their 2025-26 preseason schedule on Thursday, and it features a heavy emphasis on foreign marketing. Brooklyn will face Hapoel Jerusalem on Oct. 4 at Barclays Center. They'll then face the Phoenix Suns in back-to-back matchups in Macao, China, before closing out the preseason on the road against the Toronto Raptors.
The Nets' first matchup marks the second time in the last three seasons that they've hosted an Israeli team for an exhibition at Barclays Center. Brooklyn faced Maccabi Ra’anana during the 2023-24 preseason, days after Hamas militants attacked Israel and claimed over 1,300 lives. However, this year's Nets squad features two Israeli players in rookies Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf.
Following their exhibition with Hapoel Jerusalem, the Nets will travel to China for a trip with significant implications for the NBA.
Nets announce preseason schedule featuring landmark China trip
Brooklyn's pair of preseason tilts in Macao will mark the NBA's first games in China since 2019. The return comes after a lengthy effort to mend relationships with the nation after then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet in support of protests in Hong Kong in October 2019. Morey's tweet and the NBA's response led to the loss of sponsorships and the temporary removal of NBA games from Chinese broadcast television.
Nets owner and billionaire founder of Chinese e-commerce vendor Alibaba, Joe Tsai, was involved in the NBA's return to China. Brooklyn will play its two exhibition games vs. Phoenix at the Venetian Arena. The venue is owned by the Las Vegas Sands company, which is controlled by the Adelson family, who own the Dallas Mavericks.
Following the Macao trip, the Nets will close the preseason with an Oct. 17 trip to Scotiabank Arena to face the Raptors.
