Luka Garza’s path back onto the national stage is the kind of payoff that fits the way he’s built his career: steady work, real production, and no shortcuts.
The former Hawkeye is set to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers, another milestone for a player who kept pushing after going undrafted in 2021. Garza didn’t become a full-time starter at Iowa until his third season, but once he got there, his numbers jumped fast. He went from 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds to 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds in his final year, then capped it off by winning the Naismith Player of the Year.
His pro journey has included stops in Detroit and Minnesota, but last season in Boston brought the kind of bounce-back that got him noticed again. Garza posted a career-high 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for the Celtics while shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from three as a reserve. Boston rewarded him with a two-year, $5.5 million deal last offseason, and he made it count.
Now the national team opportunity arrives at a tricky time. Garza is heading into a contract year, and with Mitchell Robinson now projected to start at center in Boston, his role could shrink.
He was valuable late in the regular season, but he fell out of the rotation in the playoffs. That makes this run with Bosnia and Herzegovina more than just a proud nod to his background - it’s a chance to show Boston exactly what it signed.
Garza’s ties to Bosnia and Herzegovina run through his mother, Selja Muftic, who is from the country and played professionally in Europe. His father, Frank Garza, is a Spanish-American.
Born in Washington, D.C., Garza first expressed interest in playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2020 and received dual citizenship in 2021. He has appeared for the national team sporadically since 2023, and now he’s back in the mix.
Iowa Men’s Basketball noted his return to the national setup on July 2, 2026, posting that he is set to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers.
For Garza, the assignment gives him another stage to prove himself, and another chance to keep building momentum. He’ll be leaning on the same work that carried him through Iowa and helped him rebound in Boston. If this chapter ends up being a springboard rather than a detour, he should still have a market next offseason if he reaches free agency.
Garza’s next game for Bosnia and Herzegovina is Monday, July 6, at 1 p.m. Central Time against Serbia, and it will be streamed on DAZN.
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