The full details of the Boston Celtics NBA Cup schedule have been announced for the 2024-25 season. Their group includes the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Washington Wizards.
Here is the schedule for the Celtics’ four group-stage games:
2024-25 Boston Celtics NBA Cup schedule
- Tuesday, November 12 vs. Atlanta Hawks
- Tuesday, November 19 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
- Friday, November 22 @ Washington Wizards
- Friday, November 29 @Chicago Bulls
The tournament was renamed from the NBA In-Season Tournament in partnership with Emirates. Its official title is now the Emirates NBA Cup.
Who are the Celtics playing in the NBA Cup?
As noted, the Celtics will be playing the Cavaliers, Hawks, Bulls, and Wizards in the 2024-25 NBA Cup. They make up Group C of the Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers are likely going to be the toughest opponent Boston will face in the NBA Cup Tournament group stage. After getting bounced by the Celtics in the second round of the postseason last year, Cleveland will be looking for their get-back this year.
Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen just signed extensions with the team, but outside of that, the Cavaliers are boasting virtually the exact same roster as last season. They didn’t make any significant changes.
Atlanta will be an interesting team to keep an eye on. They traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans, so Trae Young is back to being their sole offensive focal point.
Alongside first-overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and breakout star Jalen Johnson, Young will be hoping to keep the Hawks in the playoff race. That is unless the Hawks decide to trade him first.
After shipping out Alex Caruso and letting DeMar DeRozan walk this summer, the Bulls seem to finally be entering a much-needed rebuild. They added Josh Giddey and signed Jalen Smith, but their roster looks pretty similar, too. Especially considering they haven’t been able to trade Zach LaVine or Nikola Vucevic.
Lastly, there’s the Wizards, who are projected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. They have a fun trio of rookies (Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George), and they signed Jonas Valanciunas in free agency, but other than that, this squad is on a one-way path to the lottery.
What do the NBA Cup winners get?
If the Celtics end up winning the 2024-25 NBA Cup, they will receive just that - the cup. In addition to the trophy, every player on the roster will win $500,000. And while that may not seem like much for the team's stars, it's a game-changer for the guys on the end of the roster.
The winners aren't the only ones rewarded, though. Players who make the final will receive $200,000, those who get to the semifinals will get $100,000, and anyone who reaches the quarterfinals will earn $50,000.
Two-way players receive half the amount of each of those figures.
How did the Celtics do in the 2023-24 NBA Cup?
Boston reached the quarterfinals of last year's tournament after finishing second in their group. There, they lost to the Indiana Pacers, who went on to play in the first-ever finals. They fell to the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the 2023-24 NBA Cup (then known as the NBA In-Season Tournament).