Celtics Writer Names ‘Frontrunner’ For Starting Center Job

Who will be the starting center for the 2025-26 Boston Celtics?

Center is the position with the most question marks for Boston. The Celtics traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks on July 7, Luke Kornet signed with the San Antonio Spurs, and Al Horford is expected to sign elsewhere.

Boston’s president of basketball operations Brad Stevens acquired two new centers, but MassLive’s Brian Robb believes experience will win out when it comes to who wins the starting role.

“Neemias Queta feels like the frontrunner at center given the continuity and the fact someone needs to rebound on this team,” Robb wrote on Friday.

Queta, a 7-foot, 250-pound native of Portugal, has improved steadily since being drafted at No. 39 overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2021, and he’s still only 26.

The first Portuguese player to appear in an NBA game, Queta joined the Celtics on a two-way contract in 2023 and signed a standard multi-year deal in 2024. In 2024-25, Queta appeared in a career-high 62 games, including six starts. He averaged 12.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per 36 minutes, shooting an efficient 65 percent from the field.

Notable performances included a 19-point, nine-rebound, six-block game against the Washington Wizards, as well as double-doubles against the Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers.

Queta’s main competition for the starting spot will be Luka Garza, Xavier Tillman, and rookie Amari Williams. Garza, a 6-foot-10 former Iowa standout, averaged 5.6 minutes in 39 games last season for the Minnesota Timberwolves with strong per-possession scoring and rebounding metrics. Tillman, primarily a power forward at 6-foot-7, offers defensive versatility but struggles with rebounding and rim protection, diminishing his case for the starting center role. Williams, the No. 46 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, is a raw prospect who may spend the earliest phase of his career refining his game in the G League (much like Queta did).

Robb believes that Queta’s continuity with the Celtics and his rebounding ability make him the frontrunner, and it’s difficult to disagree with that assessment.