As the Boston Celtics gear up for the postseason, they have signed Neemias Queta to a new contract. The 24-year-old center from Portugal switches from a two-way to a conventional contract, making him eligible for the playoffs.
Queta had a dominant playoff run in the G League, scoring 18 points and grabbing 16 rebounds to help the Maine Celtics win their first postseason game in seven years. As an encore, he had 16 points and a G-League career-high 19 rebounds in Sunday’s 99-77 Eastern Conference Championship win over the Long Island Nets. They have now advanced to the G League Finals for the first time in team history.
The former Utah State Aggies standout has also excelled in his time with the parent club. Despite having played fewer than 450 minutes in his career, he’s quickly learned what’s expected of him on both sides of the floor and has earned more opportunities to play as Boston’s lone big man.
In 26 games with the Celtics, Queta has averaged 4.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 11.4 minutes.
He had a career-high 14 points and 12 rebounds in the Celtics’ 145-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on December 23. The seven-foot center has two career double-doubles this season, including a 10-point, 10-rebound performance against the Golden State Warriors on December 19.
A day after the trade deadline, the franchise’s president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, told Inside The Celtics about the possibility of converting Queta from his two-way contract to fill Boston’s 15th roster spot: “I, we, have to continue to evaluate everything for that last roster spot we have, but he’s done a great job.”
Signing him now is a sensible decision. If the Celtics had waited until the summer, they risked being outbid by a team that sees him as a potential key backup center.
That’s a role he could grow into in Boston, assuming it on a team-friendly basis. As a team that lives on the second apron, having to pay more to sign him in the offseason or losing him to another bidder would have hurt.
Instead, the Celtics avoided a situation in which the majority of the possible results of delaying a decision on Queta’s contract were bad.
Continuing to work with a rising talent on a valuable deal is a proactive decision that both parties can enjoy, as Queta, who has blossomed in the Celtics’ system, has the potential to win a G League and NBA championship this season. As he considers that possibility, the former Sacramento Kings second-round pick knows he’ll have peace of mind this summer about where he’ll be next season, which will allow him to focus on developing his craft.