Boston's transaction sheet was empty over the last day and a half. What's left to read is the calendar: a preseason opener October 8 at Cleveland, four exhibition games before the October 20 opener at Detroit, and a Tatum return target that lands a week ahead of either one.
The preseason schedule is now the closest thing to news.
Boston opens exhibition play October 8 at Cleveland, followed by home dates against Philadelphia (October 10) and Charlotte (October 14), then a return trip to Philadelphia on October 16. The regular season opens October 20 at Detroit, broadcast on NBC and Peacock. None of those four preseason games are guaranteed minutes for anyone; camp itself hasn't been detailed beyond the roster that will report to it.
Tatum's return target lands before Boston plays a single preseason minute.
Tatum remains without full clearance for a knee injury on the left side; the target date for that clearance is October 1, a week before the Cavaliers game. Clearance and a return to game action are different facts, and Boston hasn't connected them yet.
The roster's cost already exceeds the tax threshold with zero games played.
Boston carries a $201.4 million payroll against a tax threshold of $200.4 million, with Tatum's $58.5 million and George's $54.1 million the two anchor deals, ahead of Derrick White's $30.3 million. There is no corresponding urgency yet — no move has followed that math since camp opened — which means the number is a ceiling for now, not a lever anyone is pulling.
When does the Celtics preseason start?
October 8 at Cleveland, with three more exhibition games before the October 20 regular-season opener at Detroit.
Will Jayson Tatum play in the preseason?
His target date for clearance from a left-side knee injury is October 1, a week before the opener, but Boston hasn't said which preseason games he'll actually play.
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