The Celtics know exactly where the pressure point is this offseason: the frontcourt. Boston watched Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet disappear within days of one another a year ago, and even with Neemias Queta breaking through and Luka Garza giving the team solid minutes, the center spot still didn’t hold up well enough in the playoffs.
That reality leaves the Celtics hunting in a thin market. The top big men around the league are either locked into max deals or simply not available, which means Boston has to work with a narrower menu. The good news is that the team has a $15 million mid-level exception to help chase size, flexibility, and at least a little more reliability next to Queta, Garza, and Amari Williams.
According to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein, two familiar names are on Boston’s radar: four-time champion Kevon Looney and former Celtics center Robert Williams III.
“It's believed that Looney is also on Boston's list of center targets, which is likewise known to feature former Celtics big man Robert Williams III.”
Neither option comes without questions, and that’s part of the reality of this market. The Celtics aren’t shopping for perfection here. They’re shopping for someone who can help.
Looney would bring the most straightforward profile. He’s 30, even if it feels like he’s been around forever, and he spent his first 10 seasons with the Warriors carving out a reputation as a dependable, no-frills center who rebounds, finishes around the basket, and offers some rim protection. He’s not flashy, but he has been useful.
The concern is whether there’s still enough left. Looney has slipped out of the Warriors’ rotation in recent seasons, then went looking for a bigger opportunity in New Orleans.
Instead, he ended up playing only 21 games last season and logging fewer than 15 minutes per night. If Boston believes there’s another level to tap into, that’s one thing.
On paper, though, the main appeal is veteran steadiness rather than a real fix for the Celtics’ center problem.
Williams is the far more interesting name. His path has been shaped by injuries, starting with two rough seasons in Portland that added up to just 26 games combined. But last year he bounced back in a big way, appearing in 59 games and delivering the defense, rim protection, and rebounding that have always made him so valuable, with a little offense mixed in.
He also held up in the first-round playoff loss to the Spurs, where he was arguably Portland’s most dependable center option against Victor Wembanyama. The health questions aren’t going away, but when Williams is available, he still changes the game.
If he’s willing to come back to Boston in a supporting role, the fit makes sense. A cheap(ish) deal would make him a strong addition, and the Celtics should know better than anyone how to handle his body and manage his minutes. Paired with Queta, he could give Boston the kind of 48-minute center defense it badly lacked when it mattered most.
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Bostons frontcourt needs have been obvious enough that any big man who can stretch the floor and handle minutes at both the four and the five is going to draw attention. Sandro Mamukelashvili fits that mold, and after a season in which he averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds, he is shaping up as one of the more interesting names Boston could monitor if the market opens up the way many around the league expect.
The Celtics are already weighing a range of options to bolster that part of the roster, and Mamukelashvili would give them a different kind of answer than the traditional rim protector search that usually comes with these conversations. He is also the sort of player who could attract multiple bidders, especially if his next deal lands in the range of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is why Bostons interest may end up being only one piece of a much busier frontcourt picture. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics May Have A Real Opening To Fix Their Biggest Need
The Celtics have spent plenty of time looking for a cleaner answer at power forward, and a new report suggests that answer could come from an unexpected place. NBA insider Michael Scotto reported that Denver may be open to a notable roster reset, and that has put a pair of Nuggets forwards on Bostons radar as the front office continues to scan for help on the wing and in the frontcourt.
Cam Johnson stands out because of his expiring deal and the value he has shown with career-best production from the field and beyond the arc. Aaron Gordon brings a different kind of appeal, since he could give Boston the sturdier power forward option it has lacked and allow Jayson Tatum to slide back into small forward, which is why multiple teams have shown interest in both players. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Fans Wont Love The Latest Jaylen Brown Trade Twist
The Celtics search for frontcourt help has taken another familiar turn, and it still traces back to the broader questions surrounding Jaylen Brown. Boston has shown interest in Naz Reid as a possible piece to strengthen the front line, which fits with the teams push to find more size and flexibility around its core. Reid had even come up in trade conversations before his move to Charlotte, a reminder that the Celtics have been casting a wide net as they look for ways to rework the roster.
For now, though, the path appears unclear. Charlotte seems more inclined to hold onto Reid than move him, which leaves Boston waiting on a target that does not look easily available. So the Celtics keep searching for alternative ways to improve their frontcourt, while the larger Brown trade landscape remains one of the biggest variables shaping what comes next. [Read more 🡒]