Luka Garza spent the end of the Celtics’ season in a place he knows well enough now: waiting for his next chance, then making sure he was ready when it arrived.
That part of his game - and his career - mattered in Boston. Garza didn’t live in Joe Mazzulla’s rotation every night, but he never drifted.
The Celtics staff kept backing him, and he kept doing the work that made him useful when his number came up again. By the time the season wrapped, he had given Boston exactly what it needed from him: energy, toughness on the offensive glass, and a reliable stretch big who could make the floor wider for the ball-handlers around him.
The shooting numbers told part of the story. Garza hit a career-best 43.3 percent of the 1.8 threes he took, and his value went beyond the box score. His screens, his timing, and his feel for when to hold a pick or slip, roll, or pop gave the Celtics another clean option in the half court.
Now he’s walking into a much tougher center competition. Boston’s biggest free-agent move was bringing in Mitchell Robinson, while Neemias Queta is still set to start at center.
Robinson, though, is expected to take on a major role and absorb most of the minutes when Queta sits. For Garza, that means the same thing it always has: another fight for court time.
He’s leaning into that battle by using one of the NBA’s newest resources. The National Basketball Players Association recently opened its first player-owned, 24/7 performance center in Los Angeles, tied to the league’s new PLYRS UNTD brand, and Garza was among the players getting work in at the opening runs in Playa Vista. Jaren Jackson Jr., Trae Young, and Chet Holmgren were also there.
For Garza, that fits the mindset he laid out at his exit interview after the 2025-26 season ended.
"If anything, this is a lot of fuel that's added to a fire that's pretty well burning already," said Garza less than 24 hours after the final buzzer blew on his best season. "So, I'm just going to continue to do what I can every single day to improve myself, just to try to help this team and organization, and that's my plan this summer, and I'm gonna continue to do that for next year."
That’s the thread running through Garza’s story in Boston. He came in needing a shot.
He got one, made it count, and now has to do it again with the competition turned up. Training and competing with established players around the league this summer gives him another way to stay sharp for the next opening that comes his way.
And with Garza, the next opening always has to be earned.
In Other News...
Celtics Depth Is Becoming Joe Mazzullas Biggest Edge
Bostons season has been built on more than talent. Even with injuries and roster turnover, Joe Mazzullas group has managed to stay organized because the system gives everyone a clear job, and that clarity has helped the Celtics keep playing at a high level even as the lineup has shifted around them.
What stands out is how much the offense leans into specialization instead of forcing everyone into traditional positions. A statistical look from SportsRadar and Synergy found four Celtics players making a major impact in defined offensive roles, which says a lot about why this team can keep humming when the personnel changes. The deeper the rotation has become, the more it looks like Mazzullas biggest advantage is not just having options, but knowing exactly how to use them. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Have One Stephen Curry Scenario Worth Watching Closely
Golden States plans for the 2026-27 season are already drawing scrutiny, and Stephen Curry is right at the center of it. After a 37-45 finish, the Warriors have stood pat so far, and insider Monte Poole has described the coming year as a gap season built around internal development rather than outside help. For a player still performing at a high level, that kind of setup raises obvious questions about how much longer Curry will want to wait for the roster around him to catch up.
For Boston, the relevance is less about the Warriors short-term direction and more about the possibility that Currys future eventually opens up. The Celtics would be one of the teams paying close attention if he ever decides the end of the road in Golden State is nearing, especially with the league always watching for a star of that caliber to become available. It is still a distant conversation, but in a league where situations change quickly, Currys next move is the kind of possibility teams like Boston cannot ignore. [Read more 🡒]