LeBron James was listed day-to-day on Saturday and will not play in Philadelphia's preseason game against the Celtics. The 76ers take the floor without him as he manages a rest issue.
What happened
James appeared on the 76ers' injury report as day-to-day at 7:17 p.m. ET Saturday, with the issue listed as rest. Tony Jones of The Athletic reported James will not be available for Saturday's preseason contest against the Celtics. The listing comes two days after he had been cleared from a day-to-day designation on Thursday, Oct. 8, which itself followed an earlier day-to-day listing for rest on Monday, Oct. 5. The report lists an expected return date of Oct. 16.
What it means for the 76ers
Philadelphia plays at the Celtics Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on NBA TV without James, who averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 33.2 minutes across 60 games last season. The 76ers have turned to their regulars in his recent absences: Tyrese Maxey logged 38.0 minutes and scored 28.3 points, VJ Edgecombe played 35.0 minutes for 16.0 points, and Joel Embiid added 31.6 minutes and 26.9 points, with Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, Quentin Grimes, Dominick Barlow and Andre Drummond also seeing rotation minutes. The 2026-27 season has not started, so there is no record with or without him yet.
What to watch
The next update on James's status will come with the team's following injury report. An expected return date of Oct. 16 is listed, with no further timeline announced beyond that. The 76ers continue their preseason schedule after Saturday's game against the Celtics as they build toward the regular season.
Is LeBron James playing vs Celtics?
No. James is day-to-day with a rest issue and will not play in Saturday's preseason game against the Celtics, per the 76ers' injury report.
When will LeBron James be back?
The injury report lists an expected return date of Oct. 16. No further timeline has been announced.