Celtics Strengthen Roster with Niemias Queta Signing
On Friday, the Celtics took a significant step toward shaping their future by signing center Niemias Queta to a long-term deal for the 2025-26 season.
According to ESPN, Queta has agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed extension worth $56 million, which will start in the 2027-28 season. Boston had already activated his $2.67 million team option for the upcoming season.
This move comes shortly after the Celtics secured former Knicks center Mitchell Robinson and amidst the high-profile trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the 76ers.
Robinson’s deal guarantees him three years and $47 million.
At 26, Queta emerged as one of the league’s premier rim protectors and interior defenders last season. He played a key role in Boston’s surprising No. 2 seed as they headed into the 2026 playoffs.
Throughout the 2025-26 season, Queta, standing at 7 feet, averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 76 games, boasting an impressive shooting percentage of 65.3 percent from the field.
He also finished fourth in the voting for the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season.
Meanwhile, Robinson joined the Celtics after spending his first eight seasons in New York City. When healthy, he was recognized as one of the top offensive rebounders and rim protectors in the league.
Selected by the Knicks in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Robinson appears to be the most significant loss for the defending champions, who recently celebrated their first title in 53 years. The team managed to keep Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara, and Landry Shamet on favorable contracts.
However, given the Knicks’ hesitance to exceed salary cap limits, it seemed likely that Robinson would be on the chopping block after a standout season.
The Celtics’ strategy appears to involve having either Robinson or Queta on the court at all times, signaling a stronger focus on interior defense and rebounding as they reconstruct their team following the post-Jays era.
In a separate but related move, Boston successfully traded Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for two first-round and two second-round draft picks, bringing in Paul George.
This trade brings Brown’s decade-long tenure in Boston to an end, during which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. He led the team offensively after recovering from a season-ending Achilles tendon injury during the 2025 playoffs, capping off his five-time All-Star career with the best season of his individual journey.
Despite his accolades, including being named the 2024 NBA Finals MVP and finishing sixth in the overall MVP race in 2026, Brown has faced criticism from some in the analytics community, where his achievements may not be as highly regarded.
The discussion escalated recently when ESPN insider Bobby Marks mentioned on SiriusXM that there are varied opinions on Brown among teams. He stated, “Jaylen Brown’s analysis is not good… We’ve even had analysts say, ‘Yeah, we consider him the seventh-best player on the team.’ It was quite a shock to hear.”
