Three Reasons Celtics Should Re-Structure Neemias Queta’s Contract

The Boston Celtics took a flyer on Neemias Queta during the offseason and it’s already paid off, leaving the organization in position to re-consider their overall plan with the 24-year-old moving forward.

Having added Kristaps Porzingis — the go-to starting center — plus Al Horford — the sixth man — still aboard with Luke Kornet, there wasn’t much room for a front-court opening. Queta was fresh off a release from the Sacramento Kings when joining the Celtics on a two-way deal in September, which left plenty of doubt regarding whether or not Queta would see any significant playing time in a stacked Boston roster.

That’s changed — quickly.

“Just really surprised how quickly he’s grasping everything and the impact that he’s able to have with our group, the energy he’s bringing,” teammate Al Horford told reporters at Thursday’s practice, per CLNS Media video. “It’s just been encouraging to see it. He’s the kind of guy that continues to put in the work and the biggest thing for him is to continue to stay ready ’cause you just never know when your number’s gonna be called.”

Now, just 29 games deep into the campaign as the Celtics sit atop the Eastern Conference with an NBA-best 23-6 record, a lot’s changed, warranting a discussion for a re-structing of Queta’s current contract. Having found a potential depth diamond in the rough, Boston’s initial roster filler that could’ve been viewed as a G-League piece more than anything is now giving a title-contending Celtics team valuable minutes in an even more valuable role.

And Queta’s out-of-the-blue emergence couldn’t come at a better time.

Here are the three biggest reasons for Boston to lock Queta down this season:

1) Boston’s dicey health concerns at the five
With Porzingis and Kornet hindered through early-season injuries, there have been a handful of moments where length hasn’t worked to Boston’s advantage. Capitalizing on the shot to pitch in, Queta’s stock value has rapidly risen, making the 7-foot veteran a near must-have for the Celtics.

Earlier this month, during a matchup with the Orlando Magic, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla worked around not having Porzingis, Horford or Kornet available to play. The setback of not having the three most-played centers healthy on the same night needs no explanation. Yet, getting 18 minutes off the bench, Queta made the most of his opportunity, scoring four points with three rebounds and three blocks on a plus-13 night in Boston’s 128-111 win.

Keeping in mind the ongoing health concerns around Porzingis especially, coupled with Horford’s age (37 years old), keeping Queta aboard as insurance would best suit the Celtics. He’d allow Mazzulla to easier rest Porzingis, Horford or Kornet by plugging in an aggressive front-court presence that compliments the go-to scoring options.

2) Queta could make the trade deadline easier for the Celtics
The Celtics have wasted no time establishing themselves as the team to beat in the East, but that doesn’t make them unshakable.

Evident in the offseason work done by Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and the front office, Boston is all in. They pulled all the stops, made the right moves to leave zero room for regret — or excuses — and could back that sentiment even more ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

However, in Queta settling in and finding a place in Mazzulla’s second unit, the Celtics could be gifted some market flexibility by not targeting a big and dealing their chips elsewhere.

“I expect the Celtics to be active in the trade market as we get closer to February, to see if they can beef up their bench rotation,” The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on FanDuel Sportsbook’s “Run It Back,” on Dec. 5 — back when the C’s ranked dead-last in third-quarter scoring and field goal percentage among all NBA teams.

Queta doesn’t exonerate Boston’s second unit or provide the Celtics with enough reasons to stand pat at the deadline, but he could affect where Boston looks in terms of positioning depth.

3) Queta’s recent work is worthy of an upgraded role
The proof is in the pudding — that pudding being Queta’s latest six-game stretch with the Celtics.

Getting 17.3 minutes of playing time since Dec. 15, Queta has averaged six points and 6.2 rebounds with a block while shooting 53.6% from the field. Like teammate Derrick White, Queta himself is earning an efficiency label, playing his part and his part only, and doing so effectively.

That makes him a low-maintenance depth piece that doesn’t need much to be effective — at least based on the last six games.

Queta saw just over 30 minutes of action through Boston’s first 23 games of the season, which included 20 games in which he was either inactive or registered a DNP. Obviously, that provided little opportunity for the Utah State product to showcase his contributions.

At the very least, Queta has earned an early-season evaluation based on what he’s shown the Celtics could get which is obviously something they’ll need.

Until further notice, Queta is proving to be the guy.