The Boston Celtics were not supposed to look this steady in a gap year. Not without Jayson Tatum. Not after losing Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet in the same offseason.
Yet here they are, 14-9 and sitting fifth in the East. They’ve played tougher and smarter than expected. They’ve found value across the roster. And no breakout has shifted their outlook more than the rise of Neemias Queta, who has gone from depth insurance to a genuine impact starter.
His emergence isn’t a side story. It has shaped the entire season.
But it also raises a natural question for a team preparing for its next championship window.
If Boston wants a long-term anchor in the middle, is Queta enough? Or should they keep evaluating options who could raise their ceiling even further?
Who The Celtics Could Target
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale recently floated one option the Celtics could weigh up: Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler.
The reasoning is hard to ignore. When healthy, Kessler is the type of big who fits neatly into Joe Mazzulla’s system. He rebounds at a high level, protects the rim at an elite rate and holds his own in both drop and switching schemes. His game seemed to have gone to another level too, before his season ending injury.
And the contract angle adds another layer. Kessler will hit restricted free agency coming off injury, and RFA usually flattens the market. It’s unlikely another team could throw an unreasonable offer sheet his way. For a Celtics roster building toward a full-strength run next season, it’s the kind of forward-thinking move that makes sense.
Where Queta Transforms the Celtics’ Outlook
But Queta’s rise changes the calculus.
He has given Boston exactly what they needed at the five: rim protection, physical finishes, steady rebounding and quicker reads in the short roll. The big man has found chemistry with the guards, earned trust defensively and become a real part of how this roster functions.
He doesn’t have to be perfect. He just has to make Boston whole.
A few months ago, the Celtics were operating from a position of need. Now they’re operating from a position of choice. Kessler might lift their ceiling, but Queta has already lifted their floor.
And that matters.
Kessler Question Comes Down to Price
Favale’s proposal works because it doesn’t push Boston toward urgency. If the Jazz make Kessler available, the cost will be real. Utah will want picks, young players or anything that fits their rebuild. If he reaches restricted free agency, the Celtics could test the market. But unless the number stays surprisingly reasonable, they can, and probably should walk away.
That’s the advantage Queta has given them. Boston doesn’t need to overpay for help at the five. His emergence covers a position that was once a concern and now looks stable. Any move has to fit Tatum’s recovery timeline and next year’s title push, not undo the internal progress already happening.
Kessler could still make sense, but only at the right number. Otherwise, Boston may be better served reinforcing a different spot on the roster.
The Verdict for Boston
Kessler would offer long-term defensive upside if the value lines up. But with Queta establishing himself as a reliable starter this season, Boston already has someone playing the role they hoped to fill. Keeping him there and allowing him to continue growing might be the cleaner path.
If the Celtics did add Kessler, he and Queta would form one of the league’s stronger young center pairings. But they don’t need to chase it. They can build elsewhere, upgrade another position or simply stay the course.
The point is choice. Queta has earned the right to be part of that equation, and for the first time in months, the Celtics can operate from a position of confidence rather than need.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Celtics Floated as Landing Spot for Rising Young Center appeared first on Heavy Sports.