​The opening week of the NBA schedule for the upcoming 2026-27 regular season have officially been released — and the Washington Wizards were snubbed.Despite an upgraded roster with both young and veteran stars leading a new-look Wizards’ roster, it seemingly wasn’t enough to draw primetime TV on some of the biggest days of the upcoming season.Unsurprisingly, all three games on opening night feature teams who were in the playoffs one season ago, including the LeBron James-led Sixers taking on the defending champions, New York Knicks. A Western Conference Finals rematch between the Thunder and Spurs is understandable with the Celtics – Pistons kicking off the season.The disappointment? Washington was also excluded from the marquee matchups al week with the Thunder, Spurs, Celtics and Sixers all drew two primetime games each through the opening week.For the ninth consecutive season, the Wizards will not play on Christmas Day.It marks a deflating reality for a Wizards team not just looking to change the narrative after cementing themselves as one of the NBA’s worst in recent years, but also return to postseason form for the first time since 2020-21. Is it a surprise the Wizards were snubbed? That’s understandable. AJ Dybantsa, fresh off becoming the top overall pick in a loaded top of the draft, headlines ‘must-see TV’ this season alongside a corp that features Anthony Davis, Trae Young and Alex Sarr alongside several other pieces. Yet evaluating the slate of games released, it’s sensible. The Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies were also excluded from the first batch of regular season games that was officially announced on Tuesday, highlighting that the Wizards will need to prove themselves as a successful team before they are marketed as one.Additional details for the season will be released through the week with the NBA set to release the NBA Cup schedule on Wednesday followed by a full schedule release beginning at 3 PM on Thursday on ESPN2.With Brian Keefe already set to return for his third season as permanent head coach, the Wizards are ready to turn the page from a disastrous three year stretch that featured a combined 50-196 record during that span. Whether the new pieces headlined by Anthony Davis, AJ Dybantsa and Trae Young will be enough to guide the Wizards through a competitive Eastern Conference now featuring a LeBron James-led Sixers team, Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the Heat and the New York Knicks coming off an NBA championship.