NBA City Edition Jerseys 2026-27 Ranked: All 30 Teams Graded

The 2026-27 season is the tenth year of Nike's NBA City Edition program, and instead of thirty new designs, every team is bringing back a favorite from its own first nine years. That makes this collection a league-wide vote on which City Editions actually worked, decided by the teams themselves.

The full lineup has now surfaced. Atlanta and Washington confirmed their picks earlier this year, Indiana's has been reported, and the rest appeared in a leaked set of Nike renders at the end of August. We graded all thirty and ranked them from worst to best, so the best City Edition in the collection is at the bottom of the page.

When Do the 2026-27 NBA City Edition Jerseys Come Out?

Not on September 15, which is what nearly everyone expected. Every NBA club teased that date in August, and it turned out to be the launch of Nike's Standard Issue apparel collection, the warmup and practice gear, rather than the City Edition uniforms. We broke that down in what the 09.15.26 teaser actually was.

The City Edition uniforms are expected to reach stores in January 2027, later than the usual November drop. Clubs have been confirming their designs one at a time, and we will update each entry below as they do.

What Changes for Year Ten

Three picks stretch the brief. Boston, Cleveland and Minnesota all went back to their 2018-19 Earned Edition uniforms, the alternates teams won by making the playoffs, rather than an actual past City Edition.

And the leaked designs from the spring are not in this ranking at all. The eight dark uniforms that circulated as "Christmas jerseys" are the new Specter Edition, a separate fifth uniform for eight of the oldest franchises, which we grade on its own page: NBA Specter Edition Jerseys 2026-27.

The 2026-27 City Edition Jerseys, Ranked

30. Dallas Mavericks

via Fanatics

Leaked · Returning: 2020-21 "Legacy Is Everything"

Dallas had nine years of City Editions to pick from and went back to a white shirt with gold trim. The 2020-21 "Legacy Is Everything" set was built around the franchise's history, and none of that story reaches the jersey. From ten feet away it reads as an Association uniform someone recolored.

Gold is not a Mavericks color, the wordmark sits in a thin silver-gold that disappears on white, and there is no local idea on the front at all. For a collection that is supposed to be each team's greatest hit, this is the one that makes you wonder what the misses looked like.

29. Atlanta Hawks

Image: NBA

Confirmed · Returning: 2020-21 MLK

The story behind this one is the most meaningful in the whole collection. Atlanta built the 2020-21 uniform with Dr. King's estate, and the Hawks confirmed on MLK Day in January that it returns for 2026-27. We are grading the uniform, not the tribute, and the uniform does not live up to it.

It is a black jersey with a thin gold and cream outline and a white MLK wordmark. There is no Hawks red, no Atlanta volt, and nothing on the shirt that would tell you who is wearing it if you covered the letters. A design this important deserved more than the plainest shirt on the list.

28. New Orleans Pelicans

Image: NBA

Leaked · Returning: 2023-24 NOLA

New Orleans is bringing back the black NOLA set from 2023-24, the one inspired by the city's dark streets and glowing lights, with the "Skelican" on the shorts. The idea is fun. The shirt is black with a thin neon green outline and green numbers.

The problem is the green. It is not a Pelicans color and it reads more like a nightclub sign than anything tied to the franchise, and from the upper deck the outline wordmark vanishes into the black. The shorts carry all the personality and the jersey carries none.

27. Charlotte Hornets

via the Charlotte Hornets

Leaked · Returning: 2017-18 "Buzz City"

Charlotte reached all the way back to the first year of the program for the black "Buzz City" set, with outlined lettering and an iridescent hornet-wing pattern down the sides. The Hornets own teal and purple, two of the best colors in the league, and this uniform hides both.

The wing pattern is a good detail, but it lives on the side panels where nobody sees it on a broadcast. What people do see is a black shirt with thin white outline letters, which describes about a third of the City Editions Nike made in the program's early years.

26. Golden State Warriors

via NBA Store

Leaked · Returning: 2023-24 "San Francisco"

Golden State brings back the 2023-24 black set with SAN FRANCISCO arched across the chest in gold, a nod to the franchise's years under that name. Black and gold is a strong pairing in general. It is just not the Warriors' pairing.

The Warriors have one of the cleanest identities in the sport, royal blue and yellow with the bridge, and this steps away from all of it. The gold wordmark looks sharp in a product photo and flat under arena lights. It is a nice shirt that could belong to several teams.

25. Sacramento Kings

via Fanatics

Leaked · Returning: 2020-21 "SACTOWN"

Sacramento picked the black SACTOWN set from 2020-21, made for the franchise's 35th season in the city, with light blue lettering and a checkerboard detail in the trim. The nickname is great, and it is the right word to put on a City Edition.

The execution is where it loses us. Light blue on black is low contrast, the purple is pushed to a thin trim line, and Sacramento already wears plenty of black. The Kings' purple is one of the best colors in the league, and this uniform uses it as an accent.

24. Los Angeles Lakers

Image: NBA

Leaked · Returning: 2023-24 black "Los Angeles Lakers"

The Lakers go back to the black 2023-24 set with LOS ANGELES arched over the number and LAKERS underneath, a type treatment borrowed from the franchise's early years in the city. The lettering is the best part, and it is genuinely good.

The base is the problem. Purple and gold are two of the most recognizable colors in American sports, and the Lakers keep choosing black City Editions that turn them into trim. Put this exact lettering on a purple shirt and it would be in our top ten.

23. Philadelphia 76ers

Leaked · Returning: 2017-18 cream "Phila"

Philadelphia is reported to be reviving the 2017-18 parchment set, the cream shirt with the blue "Phila" script taken from the Declaration of Independence. It is one of the most-liked designs from the program's first year, and on paper it should rank a lot higher.

In practice it has aged. The cream base looks washed out next to everything else in the collection, the script is lovely up close and hard to read on a television, and the 76ers' red, white and blue barely shows up. Great concept, quieter uniform than people remember.

22. Milwaukee Bucks

via the Milwaukee Bucks

Leaked · Returning: 2017-18 "Cream City"

Milwaukee brings back the original Cream City set from 2017-18: a cream shirt named for the city's cream-colored brick, with the deer head on the chest and green and blue stripes behind it. The local idea is one of the best in the program.

The uniform has not held up as well as the idea. There is no wordmark, so the deer head does all the work, and the stripes sit awkwardly across the chest. Milwaukee's later Cream City versions fixed a lot of this, which makes it a strange one to pick for the anniversary.

21. Portland Trail Blazers

via Fanatics

Leaked · Returning: 2019-20 "Rip City"

Portland goes back to the cream 2019-20 set, a 1970s-inspired shirt with "ripcity" in red lowercase letters. Rip City is the best nickname in the league, and we like that it is finally the wordmark instead of a secondary detail.

The type is the issue. The lowercase letters run together into one long red shape, the cream base softens Portland's black and red, and the pinwheel stripe that makes Blazers uniforms recognizable is reduced to a thin line down the side.

20. Minnesota Timberwolves

via Fanatics

Leaked · Returning: 2018-19 Earned Edition "Wolves"

Minnesota joins Boston and Cleveland in reaching for a 2018-19 Earned Edition instead of a past City Edition: the white shirt with a pink and purple "Wolves" script, pink numbers and pink trim, the same color story as that season's purple Prince tribute set.

The colors deserve credit, because purple and pink are the most distinctive palette Minnesota has ever worn. On white, though, they read faint and pastel, and a small textured panel at the shoulder is the only other detail. It is the lighter, quieter version of a much better uniform.

19. Phoenix Suns

via Fanatics

Leaked · Returning: "The Valley"

Phoenix sticks with The Valley, the black set with a pixelated desert sunset rising across the chest, first worn in 2020-21. It is one of the most popular City Editions Nike has made, and the team has leaned on it for years.

A leak in May showed this template in bright teal, which we loved. The lineup that surfaced in late August shows black instead. The sunset still looks great, but on black it has been on the court long enough that bringing it back for the anniversary feels safe rather than special.

18. Brooklyn Nets

via NBA Store

Leaked · Returning: the Notorious B.I.G. "Coogi" set

Brooklyn brings back its tribute to the Notorious B.I.G.: a black BROOKLYN shirt with trim in the multicolor pattern of the Coogi sweaters Biggie made famous. The Nets also ran it back last season, so this will be one of the most-worn designs in the program's history.

The Coogi trim is a great, genuinely local detail, and it is the reason this is not lower. Everything inside the trim is the standard black Brooklyn look the Nets already wear, so the tribute lives at the collar and armholes and the rest of the shirt is ordinary.

17. Cleveland Cavaliers

via the Cleveland Cavaliers

Leaked · Returning: 2018-19 Earned Edition "Cleveland"

Cleveland's pick is technically not a City Edition at all. It is the 2018-19 Earned Edition, the white shirt that fades into light blue with a navy "Cleveland" script, a nod to Lake Erie. It is a clean, handsome uniform.

It just does not look like the Cavaliers. Wine and gold are nowhere to be found, and without the wordmark this could pass for a new expansion team. As a design on its own it would score higher. As a Cavaliers uniform in a collection about identity, it lands in the middle.

16. New York Knicks

Image: NBA

Leaked · Returning: 2021-22 Mixtape by Kith

New York brings back the 2021-22 Mixtape set designed with Kith: black, with NEW YORK in orange outlined in white, and blue and orange piping. Kith's version was one of the better uniforms of the NBA 75 season.

It is solid and a little predictable. Orange and blue are the right colors, the lettering is classic Knicks, and the black base keeps it from looking like any other Knicks shirt. It just does not add much beyond "the Knicks, but black."

15. Orlando Magic

via NBA Store

Leaked · Returning: 2025-26 platinum "Magic"

Orlando is running back last season's platinum set, which already remixed the classic 1989 "Magic" script with the star in the A, plus a field of blue stars on the side panels. It is only a year old, so this is less a comeback than a second season.

The script is still one of the best in the league and the stars are a good callback. The pale gray base keeps it a notch below the great Magic uniforms, because it mutes the blue that makes Orlando's pinstripe sets so memorable.

14. Miami Heat

Image: NBA / Miami Heat

Leaked · Returning: 2019-20 "ViceWave"

Miami goes back to ViceWave from 2019-20, the Blue Gale shirt with a hot pink "Miami" script, part of the Vice series that became the most successful merchandise story in City Edition history.

It is a great uniform that has been worn a lot. The Vice colors are pure Miami, but the Heat have run versions of this idea for so long that bringing it back for the anniversary is the most expected choice in the building. Credit for the design, a deduction for the rerun.

13. Houston Rockets

Image: NBA

Leaked · Returning: 2023-24 "H-Town"

Houston brings back the 2023-24 "H-Town" set, designed to honor Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, with a red script across a white shirt and a nod to the championship era in the trim.

It is clean and it is clearly Houston. The script is the right kind of retro and red on white is the franchise's best combination. It lands in the middle because it is safe: take the script off and it is a standard white Rockets jersey.

12. Memphis Grizzlies

Image: NBA

Leaked · Returning: 2021-22 Mixtape

Memphis goes back to the 2021-22 Mixtape set, midnight blue with MEMPHIS in white and gold trim that borrows a pattern from the franchise's Vancouver years.

It is one of the better-looking dark jerseys in the collection because the blue is actually blue, not black, and the gold trim gives it some warmth. It stops short of a B because the front is fairly plain and the best detail sits in the trim.

11. Chicago Bulls

via the Chicago Bulls

Leaked · Returning: 2017-18 Chicago flag set

Chicago brings back the 2017-18 set built from the city flag: a white shirt, a red "Chicago" script, and the flag's four six-pointed stars running down the side, with light blue at the collar.

This is exactly what a City Edition should be. It uses a real piece of Chicago identity that locals actually care about, and it still looks like the Bulls. It sits at the top of the C range only because the script and white base feel close to a standard road shirt.

10. LA Clippers

Image: NBA

Leaked · Returning: 2021-22 Mixtape in Pacific Blue

The Clippers bring back the 2021-22 Mixtape set in Pacific Blue, with a white "Clippers" script that reaches back to the franchise's San Diego and Buffalo Braves years.

Light blue is a great look for this team and it is a color nobody else in the league owns. The script is clean, the orange trim adds just enough warmth, and it makes the Clippers look like their own franchise instead of a smaller version of the Lakers.

9. Utah Jazz

via NBA Store

Leaked · Returning: 2025-26 gradient "UTAH"

Utah keeps last season's set, a remix of its 2017 Red Rock sunset idea in gray and black bands with UTAH in white and sky blue trim. It is only a year old, which makes it a second season more than a comeback.

We usually push back on gradients, and this one works because the bands are wide and deliberate rather than airbrushed. The sky blue trim is a sharp touch. It is not the most Jazz-looking uniform ever made, but it is one of the most confident designs in the collection.

8. Washington Wizards

via the Washington Wizards

Confirmed · Returning: 2022-23 Cherry Blossom

Washington confirmed this one in March: the pink Cherry Blossom uniform from 2022-23 returns as "City in Bloom." It is the official 2026-27 version pictured here, with the washington script and a blue gradient rising through the shorts.

It breaks two of our usual rules, a color that is not in the team's palette and a gradient, and earns both exceptions. The cherry blossoms are a real Washington tradition, the pink and blue sit together instead of fighting, and nobody sees this uniform and thinks of any other team. Full breakdown in our Wizards Cherry Blossom post.

7. Boston Celtics

via Fanatics

Leaked · Returning: 2018-19 Earned Edition "Boston"

Boston's pick is another Earned Edition rather than a City Edition: the 2018-19 kelly green shirt with BOSTON and the numbers in gold. Gold has a real place in Celtics history, since it is the color of the championship banners.

It is the rare alternate that makes the Celtics look better, not just different. Green is untouched, the gold is warm instead of flashy, and the classic block lettering keeps it rooted. It stops at a B- because it is so close to a standard road jersey that it barely reads as special.

6. Oklahoma City Thunder

via Fanatics

Leaked · Returning: 2023-24 "OKC's Renaissance"

Oklahoma City goes back to the 2023-24 "Renaissance" set: navy with a subtle abstract pattern, an orange OKC wordmark, and orange and yellow trim that runs like a sunset down the side.

This is what a busy uniform looks like when it is done right. The pattern stays in the background, the orange gives it energy, and the whole thing still looks like the Thunder. It is louder than most of the top ten, and it earns it.

5. Toronto Raptors

via NBA Store

Leaked · Returning: 2024-25 "Dino Dunk"

Toronto brings back last year's "Dino Dunk" set, the Vince Carter 2000 Dunk Contest tribute, with the original cartoon raptor dunking across a black shirt trimmed in purple.

Nostalgia is the whole point, and it works. The dino is one of the most beloved logos the league has ever had, the purple is exactly right, and putting the mascot front and center instead of a wordmark is a bold call that pays off. It is fun in a collection that is mostly serious.

4. San Antonio Spurs

via Fanatics

Leaked · Returning: the Fiesta "San Antonio" set

San Antonio goes back to Fiesta: a black shirt with a "San Antonio" script over stripes in pink, teal and orange, the colors of the city's annual Fiesta celebration and of the Spurs' beloved early-90s look. It first appeared as a City Edition in 2020-21.

It might be the most complete City Edition ever made. The colors are local, they are also part of the franchise's own history, and they finally give the Spurs' silver and black some life. The only thing keeping it out of the top three is how often San Antonio has already worn it.

3. Denver Nuggets

Image: NBA

Leaked · Returning: 2018-19 white Rainbow Skyline

Denver picked the white version of the Rainbow Skyline from 2018-19, with the city skyline and mountains in rainbow stripes across the chest above NUGGETS. It borrows directly from the franchise's classic 1980s look.

This is the best way to use a throwback. The rainbow is Denver's most iconic design and the white base lets every stripe show up clearly. The black version Denver wore more recently is good; the white version is better, and the Nuggets picked the right one.

2. Detroit Pistons

Image: NBA / Nike

Leaked · Returning: 2021-22 Mixtape

Detroit brings back the 2021-22 Mixtape set: a red shirt with DETROIT in blue and trim that mixes the Pistons' red, white and blue with the teal of the 1990s era.

This is the Pistons' best alternate in years. Red is the right base, the teal trim is a smart nod to the Grant Hill era that most fans still love, and the lettering is bold enough to read from anywhere in the building. It is everything the anniversary brief promised.

1. Indiana Pacers

via the Pacers Team Store

Reported · Returning: 2025-26 "Moments Mixtape"

Indiana is reported to be running back Moments Mixtape from last season: a white shirt with a royal blue diagonal band carrying PACERS in gold, the chest lettering taken from the 1984-90 era and the block pattern from 1990-97. Indiana wore it 21 times last year.

It is the best uniform in the collection. It remixes two of the franchise's best eras into one shirt that still looks new, the diagonal band gives it movement without any gimmick, and blue and gold have never looked better on white. Of all 30 picks, this is the one that most clearly deserved a second run.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best NBA City Edition jersey for 2026-27?

The Indiana Pacers' Moments Mixtape, which we grade an A. It is a white jersey with a royal blue diagonal band and gold PACERS lettering that remixes two of the franchise's best eras. The Detroit Pistons' red Mixtape set is second at B+, and the Denver Nuggets' white Rainbow Skyline is third.

What is the worst NBA City Edition jersey for 2026-27?

The Dallas Mavericks' white and gold "Legacy Is Everything" set is last, graded F. The Atlanta Hawks' MLK uniform is 29th, also an F: the tribute behind it is meaningful, but the uniform itself is a plain black shirt with a wordmark.

When were the 2026-27 NBA City Edition jerseys revealed?

There has been no single league-wide reveal. The Hawks confirmed their pick on MLK Day in January 2026 and the Wizards confirmed theirs in March. Most of the other designs surfaced in a leaked lineup at the end of August. The September 15 date every team teased was the Nike Standard Issue apparel launch, not City Edition.

When do the 2026-27 City Edition jerseys go on sale?

January 2027, according to reporting on the anniversary collection. That is later than the usual November City Edition retail drop.

Are the 2026-27 City Edition jerseys new designs?

No. 2026-27 is the tenth season of the program, and every team is bringing back a design from its own history instead of creating a new one. The 2026-27 versions add an iridescent aluminium-finish Swoosh and move the NBA logo to the back neck.

Why are the Celtics, Cavaliers and Timberwolves City Editions Earned Editions?

All three teams chose to bring back their 2018-19 Earned Edition uniforms, the alternates Nike gave to playoff teams that season, rather than a past City Edition. Boston's is kelly green with gold lettering, Cleveland's is white fading into light blue with a navy script, and Minnesota's is white with a pink and purple Wolves script.

Which NBA City Edition jerseys are officially confirmed for 2026-27?

Two: the Atlanta Hawks' MLK uniform and the Washington Wizards' Cherry Blossom uniform, now called City in Bloom. The Indiana Pacers' Moments Mixtape has been reported. The rest come from the leaked lineup and have not been shown by the teams yet.

Are the leaked NBA Christmas jerseys City Editions?

No. The eight dark designs that leaked in April as "2026 Christmas jerseys" are the new Nike Specter Edition, a separate uniform for the Lakers, Celtics, Warriors, Knicks, 76ers, Pistons, Hawks and Kings. Those teams still have a City Edition as well.

The Bottom Line

A greatest-hits year should produce the best City Edition collection ever, and at the top it does. Indiana, Detroit, Denver and San Antonio all picked designs that are local, rooted in their own history and still look like their teams.

The bottom of the list is a reminder of what the program got wrong for nine years. Too many clubs went back to black shirts with thin outline lettering, and a few picked designs that hide their own colors. The anniversary gave every team a free choice, and the ones that chose their own identity won.

Uniform images via the individual clubs, the NBA and Nike, and the official NBA Store and Fanatics product listings, as credited under each image. ColorWay Sports is an independent design site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Basketball Association, Nike, or any club named here.