Neemias Queta Lands New Celtics Contract, Updated Salary Cap After Jaylen Brown Trade

The Boston Celtics reportedly locked up center Neemias Queta on a long-term extension on Friday.

Queta's agent, Bill Duffy, informed ESPN's Shams Charania that Queta is signing a four-year, $56 million deal to remain in Boston.

The Celtics had previously exercised the $2.67 million team option in Queta's contract for the 2026-27 season, but on the heels of a breakout campaign in 2025-26, he was rewarded with a more substantial pact.

Charania added that the four-year extension will kick in after Queta plays under the team option in 2026-27, and ESPN's Bobby Marks noted that the structure gave the Celtics enough room under the first salary cap apron to sign veteran center Mitchell Robinson in free agency.

Per Spotrac, the Celtics are now $36.975 million over the salary cap, but they are $27.513 million under the first apron and $40.184 million under the second apron.

In the wake of the Celtics losing Al Horford in free agency, Queta had what was by far the best season of his NBA career in 2025-26.

After starting only six games total in his first four NBA campaigns, Queta started 75 of the 76 games he appeared in last season.

He also averaged career highs across the board with 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 blocks per contest, while shooting 65.3 percent from the field.

A 7-footer from Portugal, Queta began his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings in 2021 after they selected him 39th overall in the second round of that year's draft.

He played a total of just 20 games in two seasons with the Kings before they waived him in 2023, which allowed him to sign with the Celtics.

Queta won a championship with the Celtics as a reserve in 2024, and he received the most extensive playing time of his career to that point in 2024-25, getting into 62 games and averaging 5.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest.

He showed what he could do last season with over 25 minutes of action per game, which crushed his previous career high of just under 14 minutes per contest.

Queta, who turns 27 this month, figures to have a pretty even split in terms of playing time this season with Robinson, who is a defensive-minded center just like him.

Coming off winning a championship with the New York Knicks last season, the 28-year-old Robinson brings eight seasons of NBA experience and career averages of 7.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks to the table.

After shockingly trading superstar guard Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers this week to a package headlined by veteran forward Paul George and draft picks, it seems likely that Boston will take a more defensive approach in 2026-27 and beyond.

The Celtics still have an offensively gifted star in Jayson Tatum, but Derrick White, George, Queta and Robinson all thrive defensively and are tough players to play against.

Because of that, Queta figures to be a big part of the Celtics' team identity next season and for years to come.