The Celtics spent the offseason chasing help at center, but the path they took may have left Neemias Queta in position to turn their biggest miss into a workable answer.
Boston entered the summer with that spot near the top of the wish list after Queta’s 2024-25 season exposed both his promise and his limitations. He put up 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 65.3% from the field in 76 games and 75 starts, and he was mostly really good. The problem came in the playoffs, where his defense showed he still has a long climb ahead before anyone can call him a starting center on a championship-caliber team.
The Celtics did make two moves at the position, but neither looked like a clean takeover of the job. Mitchell Robinson arrived and should help the group, though he may not even start over Queta. Boston also used a first-round pick on Chris Cenac Jr., who looks like a year away from being a real contributor and still may end up fitting better as a power forward than a center at the NBA level.
That left the team without what looked like a clear upgrade. And there was a reason for that.
Queta remains a valuable player in ways that are easy to see and hard to replace. He scores well around the basket, rebounds with force, blocks shots, and gives the Celtics more passing than most centers bring.
His post game also hints at more upside, even if the comparison stops a long way short of Kevin McHale or Hakeem Olajuwon. On top of that, he already knows the roster and, in a sense, carries championship experience from being part of the 2024 team.
Boston’s options were limited from the start. There wasn’t a real difference-maker waiting for them in the draft at their spot, and the market dried up quickly once Isaiah Hartenstein and Robert Williams III re-signed before free agency. Walker Kessler would have cost a massive price.
So while the Celtics may have come up short in their search, that doesn’t mean they’re stuck. Queta should have even more room to grow with a larger role next season, and Boston has a track record of getting the most out of its players. If he stalls, Robinson gives them another way to cover the position.
The best outcome might be the simplest one: Queta keeps climbing. If he makes another step forward, the Celtics could end up feeling fine about the offseason that never delivered the obvious upgrade.
In Other News...
Derrick White Still Has One Big Thing To Fix For Boston
Derrick Whites value to Boston has never really been in doubt. He remains the kind of all-around defender and connective piece the Celtics can build around, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN recently reported that the team even believed White had a better season than Jaylen Brown in 2025-26, a view that lines up with the way many around the league see him as a better value player. His ability to fit into almost any lineup has kept him central to Bostons success, especially as one of the teams most reliable glue guys.
Still, there is one area the Celtics need to watch closely if they want to contend again. Whites offensive efficiency dipped, with his shooting percentages slipping in both the regular season and the playoffs, and that matters for a player whose impact is supposed to stretch beyond defense and versatility. Boston can live with White doing a little of everything, but for him to keep the Celtics on the championship track, the shot has to come back. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Took A Late Swing On Chris Cenac Jr For One Reason
Bostons late first-round swing on Chris Cenac Jr. came with the kind of profile the Celtics like to bet on: a highly regarded center out of Houston, a player with real tools and a runway to grow. At 27th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Celtics added a big man who already flashed some of the traits that can matter in their system, and his early Summer League work has only added to the sense that there is something worth developing here.
Cenacs college coach, Kelvin Sampson, sounded comfortable with the fit, pointing to the Celtics culture and coaching staff as the kind of environment that can turn promise into production. That matters for a team making a late swing on a young center, because the path is usually about patience, teaching and opportunity, and Cenac has already shown enough in Summer League to keep the conversation going. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Nearly Took A Very Different Path In The Jays Era
Before the Celtics' current core settled into place, Boston was already circling a very different kind of move. In 2017, the team engaged in serious trade talks with Indiana for Paul George, who was on an expiring contract and had made it clear he wanted out. At the time, it was the kind of swing that could have changed the entire direction of the franchise as the Jays era was beginning to take shape.
Instead, George landed in Oklahoma City, and Boston kept building along another route with Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving. It is easy now to look back and wonder how different the roster choices would have looked if the Celtics had landed George, especially with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown still early in their development. The alternate path is what makes this one linger. [Read more 🡒]