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The Parquet Report · Morning

Six Days From Preseason, One Spot on This Roster Still Has No Name

No fresh news today, so the schedule, the cap sheet and an empty camp slot carry the morning.

By the Celtics Nightly Desk · Friday, October 2

The last day produced no transactions, injuries or reports worth separating from the noise. What's left to examine is the preseason calendar, the payroll math and a camp question nobody has answered yet.

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Illustration by Hoops Nightly.
1

The preseason slate is the closest thing to news.

Boston opens exhibition play at Cleveland on October 8, hosts Philadelphia on NBA TV October 10, hosts Charlotte October 14, then travels back to Philadelphia for a second NBA TV game October 16. The regular season follows October 20 at Detroit, on NBC/Peacock. Four tune-ups before it counts.

2

The cap sheet leaves less room than the record suggests.

Payroll sits at $203.9 million, above the $200.4 million tax line and closing in on a first apron near $209.0 million. That gap, roughly five million dollars, is the actual ceiling on any in-season move, not the win total.

3

Camp's smallest roster question remains unanswered.

A two-way spot flagged in mid-September is still open. Since then the roster turned over twice: a departure on the 21st, two additions on the 23rd, neither report connecting either move to that vacancy.

4

A one-day injury note closed before it became a story.

Tatum was listed day-to-day on September 24 and cleared the same day. No cause was given then, and none has followed.

When do the Celtics play their first preseason game?

October 8, on the road against Cleveland.

Are the Celtics over the luxury tax this season?

Yes. Payroll of $203.9 million sits above the $200.4 million tax line, though still below a first apron near $209.0 million.

By the Celtics 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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