Celtics weigh plans as Queta shines in EuroBasket and Tatum recovers

The Boston Celtics enter the 2025 offseason confronting a cascade of challenges after Jayson Tatum ruptured his right Achilles in May and the front office moved to remake the roster to ease a looming payroll crunch. With veterans traded or departed and the 2025-26 season shaping up as a transition year, Portugal center Neemias Queta delivered an eye-catching performance at EuroBasket that could shape Boston's short-term plans. In Portugal's tournament opener against the Czech Republic, Queta had 23 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks, a stat line that tournament records say is the first 20-and-15 debut in EuroBasket since 1995.

Queta's outing prompted optimism among Celtics followers and observers who say the team must lean more on fringe and rookie players while Tatum rehabilitates. "He brings, in the NBA, a level of rebounding prowess that we have seen on the Celtics," said a longtime fan and reporter on a podcast, noting Queta as a potential "X factor" if he can sustain that production. Queta himself said he is working on his three-point shot and free throws so he can be ready for expanded minutes if called upon.

The Celtics' offseason has been defined by difficult choices....