Jayson Tatum will not play in Friday's preseason finale against the 76ers, listed as day-to-day for rest. The Celtics close out the preseason without their leading scorer on the floor.
What happened
Tatum is day-to-day with a rest designation and will sit out Friday's preseason finale against the 76ers, tipping at 7:00 PM ET on NBA TV. Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reported the move. Tatum had been cleared from a day-to-day listing last Saturday, Oct. 10, after an earlier rest-related day-to-day tag on Thursday, Oct. 8. He was also day-to-day with a left knee and leg issue back on Sept. 6 before being cleared on Sept. 24. His expected return is listed as Oct. 20.
What it means for the Celtics
Boston closes its preseason slate on the road against the 76ers with its 0-0 regular-season record still ahead of it. Last season, Tatum averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 32.6 minutes across 16 games. Without him, Jaylen Brown has carried the scoring load at 28.7 points in 34.4 minutes, with Derrick White (16.5 points, 34.1 minutes) and Payton Pritchard (17.0 points, 32.3 minutes) absorbing extra reps. Neemias Queta, Sam Hauser, Anfernee Simons and Nikola Vucevic round out the minutes picking up the slack.
What to watch
Tatum's expected return is listed as Oct. 20, which would put him back before the regular season opens. The next injury report will show whether that timeline holds or whether the day-to-day tag carries into the start of the season. For now, Friday's game against the 76ers is the only one on the board, with the preseason wrapping up and the regular season still to come.
Is Jayson Tatum playing against the 76ers?
No. Tatum is day-to-day with a rest designation and will not play in Friday's preseason finale against the 76ers.
When will Jayson Tatum be back?
His expected return is listed as Oct. 20, 2026. No further update has been announced beyond that date.