Every October, there's a two-week stretch where NBA arenas fill up, rosters are still finding their rhythm, and the basketball is genuinely fun to watch — but the ticket demand hasn't caught up to the regular season yet. That stretch is happening right now, and it's worth paying attention to.
Two Cities, Two Rivalries Renewed
Boston and Philadelphia are doing the preseason back-and-forth this fall, and it's a nice little preview of an Atlantic Division chapter that'll matter a lot more come spring. First stop: the 76ers head to TD Garden on October 10, with tickets starting from $196 for a building that's about as iconic as it gets in this league. Then the series flips — Celtics at 76ers lands at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 16, from $321. Neither game counts in the standings, but both rosters will be treating it like it does, especially with new pieces still figuring out where they fit.
West Coast Glamour, Preseason Prices
Out west, there's an even bigger name showing up for what amounts to a tune-up. The Lakers roll into Chase Center to face the Warriors on October 6, and tickets there start from $158 — which, for a Lakers-Warriors matchup featuring two franchises with about as much combined star power as exists in the sport, is the kind of number you don't usually see once November hits. Whatever this season becomes for either team, this is your cheapest look at it. Check the San Francisco listings before the building fills in.
Why Preseason Actually Works in Your Favor
There's a reason die-hard fans quietly love this window. Rotations are looser, benches get real minutes, and coaches are experimenting — which means you often see more players, more lineup combinations, and more of the roster than you will in a tight fourth quarter in January. It's basketball with the pressure valve released a little, and it tends to be a great environment to bring someone to their first live game, because the stakes feel lower but the arena energy is still there.
It's also a genuinely good entry point if you've been meaning to upgrade your seats but didn't want to pay regular-season rates to do it. The secondary market exists precisely for moments like this — it's what lets a fan grab a lower-bowl seat for an exhibition game at a price that would barely get you into the nosebleeds three months later. That's not a loophole, that's just what a flexible ticket market is supposed to do: match access to demand, night by night.
Don't Sleep on the Rest of the Calendar
If basketball isn't quite your thing this week, there's plenty else going on. Sports fans have a packed few weeks across football, hockey, and basketball all layering on top of each other, and it's worth a scroll through this weekend's lineup to see what's landing closest to you. Preseason basketball, playoff-race football, and early-season hockey are all sharing the calendar right now, which almost never happens.
The bigger point stands, though: preseason isn't the undercard anymore. It's a legitimate, lower-cost way to see NBA talent up close before ticket prices catch up with the standings. Get in while the building's still warming up.
