NBA Notebook: Neemias Queta showing ready for bigger Celtics role with Portugal

Neemias Queta's early action in the EuroBasket exhibition and group play games featured him burying a fadeaway jumper, burying a three above the break and faking a dribble hand-off to step into an elbow jumper. Along with a 23-point, 18-rebound, four-block opening performance in Portugal's win over the Czech Republic, Queta raised intrigue over the possibilities for the Celtics with him potentially ascending to a starting center role with Boston. Through three group games, he averaged 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 60.7% from the field.

His preparation for the tournament, and its long-awaited chance to showcase Portugal's basketball growth over the past two decades, began between Boston and Lisbon last month while Queta recovered from knee surgery first reported by CLNS Media. While spending time with him in Portugal between his basketball camp, daily rehab and training, Queta explained how his role with the national team would force him to assume more of a one-on-one mindset. Portugal needed him to score, facilitate and attack more than the Celtics will this season, but Boston will also demand more from him than he's ever provided on an NBA floor in terms of minutes, games played and consistency. 

"It’s not really what we were really expecting," Queta said in a sit-down with the Garden Report. "But I feel like we’re in a position that I’m growing, I’m developing at a steady pace, with big responsibility becomes the man of … I need to show out every day with more consistency. I’ve been working at it, and I feel like I’m getting ready for it, so hopefully it’s gonna be a big year for me in general and I think I’m gonna step up for the occasion and all the other guys as well. We’re not really the group that everybody points out as the best, but we’re gonna prove them otherwise.” 

Among the questions the Celtics face through those doubts as they begin life without Jayson Tatum, the center position rose to the top of the list when Boston lost Kristaps Porziņģis and Luke Kornet, and will inevitably see Al Horford depart this month. The productivity lost between those three surpasses what most teams sustain in any given year, but Queta already has experience filling in for one or multiple of those players while contributing to wins. Boston won five of his six starts in 2025, and this marks his third season with the team, accumulating knowledge on how the Celtics want to play, where teammates and coaches expect him on the floor, along with earning Joe Mazzulla's trust. Mazzulla has lauded Queta's high ceiling. A possible starting lineup including Queta, Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Derrick White already played positive minutes together over the past two years. 

Over 90 games so far, Queta averaged 14.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 blocks per 36 minutes in Boston. When he received 20-29 minutes in his career, he posted 8.3 PPG and 6.9 RPG, modest numbers that spiked to 12 points and eight rebounds in the one game where he crossed the 30-minute threshold. 

Queta only has one game in four NBA seasons where he played more than 30 minutes, a start against Toronto that Boston won in overtime last November. He'll need to do that 60-70 times for the Celtics to succeed. 

"Obviously, I think it’s making sure I get in great shape, go out there and make elite decisions with the ball in my hands and making sure I get great finishes this year," Queta said, explaining his goals this summer. "I also want to raise up my free throws, my free throw attempts, this year. Just wanna be aggressive and make sure I get my percentage up on the free throw line too. I think I always work on the threes no matter what, you never know when you’ll need one of them and even if I’m not a great shooter off the three-point line, if I’m open and I gotta shoot it, I’ll shoot it confidently. You never know. I want to make them.”

The challenge Queta faces in 2025-26 recalls one that former Celtic Daniel Theis stepped into in 2019-20. Theis signed with Boston from Germany at 25 and averaged 14.3 minutes per game from 2017-19, watching the Celtics make two playoff runs and learning from veterans like Horford and Aron Baynes. Horford departed in 2019 for Philadelphia, Baynes left for Phoenix and only Enes Kanter joined Theis and Robert Williams III, then in his second season, among experienced centers. Theis received 64 starts in 2020, 24.1 MPG and managed 9.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 1.3 BPG on 56.6% shooting. 

That proved enough alongside stellar perimeter play for the Celtics to reach the East Finals while Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker battled injuries. Of course, that team had Tatum. 

That further increases the responsibilities for Queta, who found his Kanter in NBA veteran Chris Boucher, a late offseason signing who can play the four and shoot threes. Luka Garza, who Queta met in their pre-draft process, showed enough promise in Minnesota's development program to enter Boston's 2026 plans. Xavier Tillman Sr. is also still on the team, albeit after playing next to no minutes after November last season. That could become enough if Pritchard, White, Brown and more emerge as strong contributors on the perimeter and the team finds a new play style. And physically, Queta has the ability to surpass Theis' output.

"Luke was great off the bench and whenever his name was called, he’s always ready. I learned a lot of that from him," Queta said. "So it’s gonna be a tough year losing him. Then KP was a guy that was always great to have around, great in the locker room and super skilled, super talented. We’re gonna miss that, and then Jrue (Holiday) was always the glue guy, the connector, he did everything for us. He used to guard seven-footers, he used to pressure up on the perimeter, he used to initiate offense, so they’re tough losses, but I feel like we’re always ready for it and it’s the business. We gotta keep moving on." 

There's a durability component to what this team is trying to do this season, though. Queta, who had managed his knee ailment going back years, did not blame it for his reduced involvement late last season. In 2023, before the Kings waived him and allowed him to join the Celtics, Queta dealt with a stress fracture in his foot that he aggravated in the preseason and forced him to miss time at the beginning of 2023-24. There's little room for error for anyone to miss much time now, especially after the Celtics lost so much already at center. 

If Queta holds up, the Celtics will demand that he's in all the right positions, creating the matchups they want offensively with his screens, pressuring the offensive glass from the right angles to control transition and most importantly, putting himself in the right positions on defense. Teams will attack him. 

After the days at his camp, Queta and Maine Celtics assistant Taaj Ridley joined for conditioning-heavy workouts where they honed his touch around the rim, three-point and free throw shots. He controlled rebounds off the glass, ran the floor while putting up shots and practiced post moves. Ridley stressed screening without fouling and containing actions defensively. Queta anticipated playing more of a roaming role on defense in Boston. The pick-and-roll with White, Pritchard and Brown will provide him plenty of opportunities for lobs. And despite the critiques he's received from the sideline to begin his Celtics career, getting through to the other side earned him an admirer in Mazzulla. 

"(Mazzulla's) been on me ever since I got here," Queta said. "He believes in me heavily, so I’m really happy that we’re here, we’re together and I’m just trying to prove him right. All the stuff that he said about me, I agree with him and I just want to keep on going, and I think the message for me this year has been, 'Neemy, just go out there, play freely and help us win games.'”

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: Kristaps Porziņģis delivered mixed results for Latvia through their start of group play in EuroBasket, shooting 3-for-7 and missing all four threes he tried against Serbia before posting 26 points and seven rebounds against Estonia. Latvia split its first two games before losing to Turkey in another rough Porziņģis showing -- 10 points and four rebounds on 3-for-12 shooting. Porziņģis is 0-for-13 from three through three games and has averaged 5.0 turnovers per night. He faces Neemias Queta and Portugal on Monday.

Boston: Neemias Queta delivered an overwhelming 23 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks in Portugal's first EuroBasket win in 18 years over the Czech Republic. He followed with more modest showings opposite of Serbia and Turkey, six points and two rebounds matched up with Nikola Jokić before 15 points and seven rebounds against Alperen Şengün. A general manager told Heavy that the Celtics are still very much willing to talk about Anfernee Simons trades as training camp looms roughly one month from now. Boston's roster survived the waive-and-stretch deadline on Friday. The next date that matters: Sept. 4, when Simons can be aggregated alongside other players in trades. 

Brooklyn: Waived two-way wing Tosan Evbuomwan, clearing a second spot after the team had reached a total of 18 players with three offseason spots remaining. The move and Brooklyn's continued cap space flexibility could allow for more moves leading up to training camp next month.  

Cleveland: Max Strus suffered a Jones fracture on his left foot and underwent surgery that will cost him 3-4 months before he returns to basketball activities. The setback followed a similar start to last season, where an ankle injury sidelined him for the first 27 games of the 2024-25 season before he returned to the starting lineup and finished the year strong. Strus suffered the injury to the bone near the pinkie toe during an offseason workout. After Ty Jerome departed this offseason, Cleveland will rely on Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, De'Andre Hunter and Jaylon Tyson, among others, to fill Strus' minutes for several months. Darius Garland (toe) is also expected to miss the start of the next regular season. Ty Lue revealed that the Cavs almost traded Kevin Love for Paul George before a disagreement over draft compensation sunk the deal and George ended up in Oklahoma City. 

Dallas: Waived-and-stretched Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a 23-year-old wing who played sparingly since the Mavs drafted him 23rd overall in 2023. Cooper Flagg's arrival, a roster crunch and many forwards standing in front of him lead to the move, which will stretch his $3 million contract for 2025-26 across three seasons. The Mavs now have 14 active roster players, two on two-ways and a pair of training camp invites to put their offseason roster at 18. Dallas needed room to re-sign Dante Exum, who agreed to a $2.3 million deal. 

Denver: Nikola Jokić left Kristaps Porziņģis with few words after unloading 39 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals against Latvia and securing Serbia a spot in the EuroBasket's next round after their 3-0 start. Jokić averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game on 65% shooting, including a 23-point double-double against Neemias Queta and Portugal. Serbia lost Bogdan Bogdanović, however, to a hamstring tear against Portugal that could put his availability for the Clippers this season in danger. 

“It was tough. He’s very crafty in the paint, so strong, but with such soft hands. His basketball IQ is on a completely different level. It was a battle from the first to the last minute – he’s probably 30 kilograms heavier than me. I did my best, and I think the fans enjoyed it. Hats off to the Serbian fans; they showed us love after the game. It was a fun match,” Porziņģis said.

Detroit: The Pistons are among the teams that could explore signing Malik Beasley once it's clear what his availability will become for this season after he's reportedly no longer a target of a federal investigation into alleged gambling activity. Beasley hasn't been cleared either, and Detroit's three-year, $42 million offer that the team pulled after his status in the investigation became known isn't possible anymore. The Pistons can offer $7 million now, while the Nets have significant cap space and the Pacers have large exceptions worth $13-14 million and a need in the back court with Tyrese Haliburton out. The Cavs, Knicks and Timberwolves have also reportedly monitored Beasley's status, per Jake Fischer. Beasley is seeking a contract north of the league minimum. 

Indiana: Tyrese Haliburton said on a podcast appearance that he'll need at least 15 months before appearing in an NBA game again after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the Finals. That would place his return around September 2026 when training camp begins for the 2026-27 season. Haliburton also revealed that his Finals calf injury would've cost him 2-3 weeks in the regular season, and people close to him told him to sit out after Game 5. The Pacers have already ruled Haliburton out for the season, but his timeline is noteworthy with Jayson Tatum recovering from the same injury. A 15-month recovery for Tatum would place his return in August next summer, though Boston has not ruled out Tatum for this season and Rich Gotham said he expects Tatum to put the team in position to make a difficult decision with his recovery efforts. 

Lakers: Luka Dončić averaged 36.5 PPG across losses to Poland and France that placed Slovenia's chances to advance in EuroBasket in doubt. Dončić scored 39 points with eight rebounds and nine assists, drawing 20 free throw attempts in the 103-95 loss to France on Saturday. The game ended with a scuffle over France's last-second point differential padding attempt. 

Slovenia picked up its first win against Belgium on Sunday before wrapping group play against Iceland on Tuesday and Israel on Thursday. They're currently tied with Belgium at 1-2 for fourth place, with the top-four teams advancing. 

Milwaukee: Shams Charania reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo intends to begin the 2025-26 season with the Bucks, a move solidified by the team signing Thanasis Antetokounmpo on Sunday after his recovery from an achilles tear last season. Thanasis places the Bucks at 16th active roster players including Amir Coffey, who signed a training camp deal to increase the team's wing depth. With AJ Green and Andre Jackson Jr. playing on non-guaranteed deals in a crowded backcourt, the Bucks now have difficult decisions to make into training camp. Greece began EuroBasket 3-0 in group play behind 31 and 27-point performances from Giannis against Italy and Georgia.  

Minnesota: President Tim Connolly opted into the final two years of his contract with the Timberwolves, according to The Athletic. Connolly oversaw the team's Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns trades beginning in 2022 after joining the organization from the Nuggets. The Wolves have made the last two West Finals. The decision came at a moment of overhaul in the team's business departments, with new the team's Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez-led ownership vowing to maintain basketball operations. Alongside Malik Beasley, who played in Minnesota from 2020-22, the Wolves have assessed free agent Malcolm Brogdon and their own free agent Bones Hyland. The Knicks have also shown interest in Brogdon, who last played for the Wizards. 

New Orleans: Jose Alvarado shared he's doing good after suffering a scary head and neck injury in a fall sustained while playing for Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals of the AmeriCup. He had scored 25 points and hit seven threes before being stretchered off the floor in the eventual loss. 

New York: Jeremy Lin, 37, whose 2012 run with the Knicks inspired the basketball world, announced his retirement on Sunday after playing the last two seasons in Taiwan. Lin last appeared in the NBA in 2019 with the Raptors after stints with six other teams. As part of the 2019 Toronto team, which he joined in February, he became the first Asian American to win an NBA championship. His career began in Golden State in 2010-11 after going undrafted out of Harvard. The Warriors and Rockets waived him in 2011 before the Knicks added him after multiple injuries and losing Chauncey Billups. Lin spent time in the G-League and nearly got waived before Mike D'Antoni gave him a chance after the team lost 11-of-13, and he scored 25 points against the Nets, helped lead a seven game win streak through injuries that included him out-scoring Kobe Byrant, 38-35, beating the Wolves with last-second free throws and beating the buzzer with his signature shot to down the Raptors from three. The February, 2012 saga became known as Linsanity, a stretch where New York won 9-of-12 while Lin averaged 22.5 PPG and 8.7 APG. Multiple lower-body injuries, beginning later that season, played a significant role in Lin's NBA demise. 

"It's been the honor of a lifetime to compete against the fiercest competitors under the brightest lights and to challenge what the world thought was possible for someone who looks like me," he said. "I've lived out my wildest childhood dreams to play in front of fans all around the world. I will forever be the kid who felt fully alive everytime I touched a basketball."

Sacramento: It's more likely that the Kings would move on from Devin Carter than Malik Monk to open a role for the potential addition of Russell Westbrook, according to multiple reports that indicated the team's exploration of a Monk trade as unrelated to their Westbrook pursuit. Westbrook remains the biggest name among veteran guards on the free agent market like Ben Simmons and Malcolm Brogdon. Former Celtic and current Kings guard Dennis Schröder spoke out against racial abuse he faced from fans during EuroBasket. FIBA released a statement condemning the action of the fans involved. 

Utah: After multiple 40-point performances in the exhibitions leading up to EuroBasket, Lauri Markkanen dropped 43 for Finland in a win over Great Britain while shooting 13-for-22 from the field. Finland advanced to 3-0 by beating Nikola Vučević and Montenegro, led by Markkanen's 26 points and 13 rebounds. He's averaging 32.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 2.3 APG with 3.0 SPG on 52.8% shooting in an effort that'll only raise intrigue in the star that the Jazz were able to lock up on a long-term extension last offseason.