Celtics Note: Carter, Pritchard, Tatum, Brown

Devin Carter has rejoined the Celtics after a bout of mononucleosis had kept him sidelined for the start of the season, Bobby Manning reports for CLNS Media (via Twitter).

While Carter was able to once again be a part of the locker room and spend time with his teammates, he’s still unavailable as he finishes recovering from the illness.

The Celtics picked up the 24-year-old former lottery pick on an Exhibit 10 contract, which they later converted to a two-way deal ahead of the season opener. The defensive-minded guard was originally picked 13th overall in the 2024 Draft by the Kings, but struggled to find a place in the rotation due to injuries and an inconsistent offense.

We have more from the Celtics:

• Payton Pritchard has become a Celtics favorite for fans, teammates, and front office members alike during his seven seasons in Boston. He has also taken on an unexpected title, according to Hallie Grossman of ESPN: the team’s iso king. The 6’1″ guard led the NBA in effective field goal percentage in isolation situations last season, a product of the countless hours of intensive off-season work he puts into perfecting his craft. For his efforts, he has been recognized by one of the greatest isolation scorers the NBA has ever seen, when Allen Iverson called him “the coldest white boy I’ve ever seen.” With the departure of Jaylen Brown, his isolation prowess is more important to the team than ever, as the Celtics have fewer ball handlers to get into the wheeling-and-dealing style of hunting for threes that has made them such a regular-season juggernaut over the last few years.
• Jayson Tatum has been through a lot of basketball upheaval since rupturing his Achilles during the 2025 playoffs, but he cemented his return with a buzzer-beating game-winner against the Nets in overtime on Tuesday, Jay King writes for The Athletic (subscriber link). He didn’t shy away from the feelings that came with the play afterwards. “That was a hell of a feeling, just kind of getting back to doing things that I used to do before I was injured,” Tatum said. “And sharing that moment with my teammates on the court, seeing them rally and be excited for me.” It was the first 40-point game Tatum has recorded since the injury, as well as the most minutes (42) he has played in that timeframe. “I’m 18 months out from when I tore my Achilles,” Tatum said. “And there’s certain moments throughout a game, on and off the ball, where I’m doing a cut or exploding or just doing something that something in my mind clicks, and like ‘Oh, you know, that feeling is really starting to feel like, you know, pre-injury.’ And results, make or miss the shot, I get really excited about some of the movements that I make throughout the game.”
• Jaylen Brown is no longer with the Celtics, but he remains a topic of much discussion. Recent back-and-forths about whether Brown demanded a trade from the team (a claim his representation denied) and post-game comments continue to ignite controversy regarding the splitting up of the two stars who were so successful together. Brown’s comments, where he said, “There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and gravy,” have caused figures around the league confusion, Chris Mannix writes for Sports Illustrated, but the causes for the disagreement are simple enough to determine, according to Mannix.