The NBA preseason is a series of exhibition games played by NBA teams before the start of the regular season. The preseason allows teams and players to shake off the rust and try out new strategies and lineups in a low-stakes environment. The 2023 NBA preseason started on October 5 and ran until October 20, with nationally and locally televised games. Most NBA preseason games air on NBA TV and local regional networks or NBA League Pass, and select games are also on ESPN, ESPN2, and TNT. Fans can stream games on channels like ESPN, NBA TV, and TNT with services such as YouTube TV or Fubo TV, and many games are also available for streaming on NBA League Pass.

While the results of preseason games do not matter, the preseason is still an important time for evaluating processes and testing out different lineups and strategies. Coaches can see how their teams perform in a low-stakes environment and try out new players and lineups. Fans can also get a glimpse of new players in new places, incoming rookies, and teams who reshuffled their decks through trades and free agency. Overall, the NBA preseason is a time for teams and players to prepare for the regular season and try out new strategies and lineups before the games start to count.