Mar 6, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) reacts after his basket against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Celtics Center Reveals Ambitious Goal After Porzingis Support

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 11:23 AM ET

The Boston Celtics are wrapping up a busy offseason filled with major moves. Some of their most prominent players from their championship run won’t be around next year.

Kristaps Porzingis leaves a void in the front court, as he was included in a trade, landing on the Atlanta Hawks. As a result, the Celtics could be looking to utilize Neemias Queta more this year.

Recently, Porzingis suggested he should get more minutes.

“Neemi has been getting better each year, and Coach Mazzulla has been pretty tough on him,” Porzingis told reporters recently.

“I believe that he’s getting to a point where he deserves some real minutes, some real rotation minutes. He’s been putting in the work, and you can see how he’s playing now in the tournament. I’m happy for Neemi. He’s a great, great dude, really cool person, and puts in the time, puts in the work. I’ll be happy to see him getting a lot more minutes this year.”

Queta Drops a Confident Statement

Considering the situation regarding the Celtics’ depth chart, Queta anticipates a bigger role. Just a few days after Porzingis’s comments, Queta dropped a confident statement heading into next season. He wants to be one of the best at the position.

“I think I got all the tools to go out there and compete with the best,” Queta told EuroHoops.

“And after that, it’s just having the little details tuned up. Being ready for 82 games – it’s a lot of games. Just knowing I’ll be playing most nights is going to be big for me."

Back in 2021, Queta entered the NBA as a second-round pick out of Utah State. He was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 39th overall pick.

His time in Sacramento would last two seasons. After appearing in a total of 20 games, Queta was waived by the Kings. He ended up getting a two-way contract from the Celtics in 2023.

During his first year in Boston, Queta appeared in 28 games. He averaged 5.5 points and 4.4 rebounds amid the Celtics’ championship season.

Last year, Queta was included in a career-high 62 games. He even picked up six starts and averaged 13.9 minutes on the court. Queta produced 5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

The Celtics won’t have championship expectations placed on them this season. After trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, along with losing Jayson Tatum for a year due to an injury, many expect Boston to go through a gap year.

For Queta, it will be a great opportunity to showcase and develop on a team that could still be competitive. It will be up to the Celtics to give him that opportunity.