Boston's exhibition slate is now fixed: four preseason games from October 8 to 16, then a regular-season opener at Detroit on October 20. Jayson Tatum's return remains penciled for October 1, and two items from a September 12 notes roundup — one on Payton Pritchard, one on Tatum — carry no further detail yet.
The preseason slate is finally dated.
Boston plays four exhibition games before the opener: October 8 at Cleveland, October 10 at home against Philadelphia, October 14 against Charlotte, and October 16 at Philadelphia. The regular season begins October 20 at Detroit, broadcast on NBC and Peacock — the first look at how Joe Mazzulla folds Paul George into a lineup built last season around Jaylen Brown.
Tatum's return date has not moved.
He is listed day-to-day with a left knee issue, an estimated return date of October 1. That clears him in time for training camp and before the preseason opener, though the return is an estimate, not a certainty.
The one transaction of the week reversed itself.
Boston signed free agent Hank Morgan on September 11 and waived him the same day, a move that changes nothing about the roster's shape. It is the extent of September's completed business.
Two threads from the same report stay undefined.
A September 12 notes roundup grouped an open two-way spot, a note on Payton Pritchard, and a note on Tatum without detail on any of the three. Separately, Jake Fischer reported Boston's interest in guard Devin Carter — a single connection, with no framework or timeline attached. What either the Pritchard or Tatum note singles out is still guesswork.
When do the Celtics play their first game of the 2026-27 season?
Boston opens the regular season on October 20 at Detroit, after four preseason games between October 8 and October 16.
Is Jayson Tatum expected to be ready for training camp?
He is listed day-to-day with a left knee issue and has an estimated return date of October 1, ahead of the preseason opener.
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