Celtics center Neemias Queta became a full-time starter last season for the first time in his career, but that position may not be secure after the team added Mitchell Robinson in free agency. Queta is happy that Robinson is now in Boston and isn’t worried about who winds up with the starting job, Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe writes in a subscriber-only story.

“That’s a Joe [Mazzulla] thing to figure out,” Queta said Saturday at a dedication ceremony for a Portuguese-themed basketball court. “I’m just out there welcoming my new teammates with open arms. Mitchell is going to be a great addition for us. I’m extremely happy that I don’t have to go against him any more because he used to get all these rebounds, so it’s going to be good to have him on our side.”

Queta proved that he was capable of handling the starter’s role, averaging 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 76 games. After being rewarded with a four-year, $56MM extension in July, Queta has spent the summer focusing on a few specific skills.

“I’ve been working on different facets of the game, being more versatile offensively, being more complete,” he said. “Making good decisions with the ball, whether it’s a pass, or being able to go get my own shot.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

• A strong rookie season didn’t prevent Hugo Gonzalez from seeing his name in trade rumors. The Bucks reportedly asked for the 20-year-old forward to be included as part of Boston’s offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Celtics refused. “It’s just something that you know when you’re going to the NBA,” Gonzalez told CLNS Media (Twitter video link). “You can get traded. I wouldn’t be the first person to get traded or the last person to get traded.”
• Payton Pritchard was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2025, but he also showed he can be effective in a starting role, making 50 starts in his 79 games last season, notes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Pritchard became a reserve again following the Anfernee Simons trade because the team needed another ball-handler off the bench, but his role for the upcoming season hasn’t been determined yet. Terada notes that the Celtics now have an experienced back-up point guard with the addition of Mike Conley and suggests that Pritchard may alternate between being a starter and reserve throughout the season.
• Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston and a few other staff members project the Celtics’ starting lineup for this season. Forsberg notes that Mazzulla used 23 different starting combinations throughout 2025/26, with most of the changes coming at the wing while Jayson Tatum was unavailable.