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Preseason Opens Cavs' Clock on Watson, Payroll and Weems

Preseason tips off October 8, Peyton Watson's return lines up with it, and the payroll math still hasn't moved.

4 questions
By the Cavaliers Nightly Desk · Saturday, October 3

The Cavaliers are still 0-0, but the calendar finally moves this week with four preseason games before the October 22 opener at Philadelphia. Peyton Watson's hamstring timeline points to that first preseason tip-off, and Cleveland's $209.0 million payroll still sits above the luxury tax line.

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Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

When do the Cavs actually play again?

Cleveland opens preseason October 8 at home against Boston, then plays Orlando twice, October 11 on ESPN and October 13 on Peacock. The regular season opener is set for October 22 at Philadelphia, also on ESPN. Until then the record stays 0-0, with no scores, streaks or seeding to track yet.

Is Peyton Watson back in time for the opener?

Watson has been out with a hamstring injury since September 25, and the return date attached to it lines up with Cleveland's preseason opener against Boston on October 8. Nothing further has been reported since that date was set, so his status for that game is still open.

Where does the payroll stand heading into the season?

Cleveland is carrying $209.0 million in salary, above the $200.4 million luxury tax line. Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell each account for $50.1 million of that, with James Harden at $30.6 million and Jarrett Allen at $28.0 million. That leaves little room before the $221.7 million second apron.

Has Brandon Weems made any moves since September 23?

Not publicly. Weems took the GM job September 18, and five days later Cleveland added Kadary Richmond, Curtis Jones, Rashaun Agee and Zack Austin. Nothing has followed since, and Sean McNeil's two-day stint, signed September 15 and gone by September 17, still has no explanation attached to it.

The verdictThe preseason opener on October 8 is the real check-in point: it settles whether Watson plays and starts separating this roster for real. Everything else right now is still just a calendar waiting to turn into results.
When is the Cavaliers preseason opener?

October 8 at home against the Boston Celtics.

Is Peyton Watson playing in the preseason opener?

His hamstring return date lines up with that October 8 game, but no update has confirmed he's cleared to play.

By the Cavaliers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.

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