NBA gives Cavs LeBron right away, Knicks four times and a brutal January

The Cavaliers already knew where their season would begin. Now they know just about everything that comes after it.

Cleveland opens Oct. 22 at Philadelphia against LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the 76ers, because the NBA understands television. The home opener arrives two nights later against Brooklyn, beginning a three-game homestand that also includes Minnesota and Washington.

The Cavs will make 17 national television appearances, perhaps fewer than you’d expect for a team coming off an Eastern Conference finals appearance. Six will be on ESPN, four on NBC/Peacock, four exclusively on Peacock and three on Prime Video.

There are plenty of dates worth circling.

The defending champion Knicks, who swept Cleveland in the conference finals, visit Rocket Arena twice, Nov. 7 and Dec. 21. Cleveland also visits Madison Square Garden on Nov. 11 and again for an NBA Cup game Nov. 25.

Detroit comes to town Jan. 18 for the previously announced Martin Luther King Jr. Day game. The Pistons won 60 games last season and led Cleveland 2-0 in the conference semifinals before the Cavs stormed back and won Game 7 in Detroit.

Other notable visitors include Oklahoma City on Nov. 2, San Antonio on Dec. 15, Denver on Jan. 9 and the Lakers on March 25.

The schedule does contain one particularly nasty stretch. Cleveland begins 2027 by playing 14 of 19 games on the road from Jan. 2 through Feb. 4. Its longest trip is a six-game, 10-day swing in March.

There are also 16 back-to-backs, because apparently nobody wanted the Cavs getting too comfortable.

The good news comes late. Eight of Cleveland’s final 11 games are at Rocket Arena, including the April 11 finale against Atlanta.

So yes, the entire schedule is here. Now we can spend eight months complaining about it.