Going from a center rotation of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet to Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and Xavier Tillman Sr. makes for a borderline jumpscare for Boston Celtics fans anytime they look at the team’s depth chart. The moves from this past month have left a serious void in the middle for Boston.
Sure, next season is shaping up to be a weird “gap year” as Jayson Tatum recovers from an Achilles tear, but the roster isn’t quite bad enough to lean into a full-on tank. Jaylen Brown is still there. Derrick White is still there. Payton Pritchard is still there, along with several returning young players, who could benefit from the extra playing time they’ll see in the 2025-26 campaign.
If the Cs had brought in a more substantial addition than Garza to patch the hole left by their mass center exodus, they’d have a case for still being a legitimate playoff lock in a weak Eastern Conference. There’s still grounds for them to make the postseason, but it’s nowhere near a lock.
Jay Huff could've been a great low-risk target for the Celtics
Boston’s lack of aggression towards filling said void is even more frustrating when considering how little the Indiana Pacers had to give up for former Memphis Grizzlies center Jay Huff earlier this month. Huff, who is signed to a four-year, $10.1 million deal with a team option in the 2027-28 season, is one of the better budget big men in the league.
He appeared in 64 games for the Grizzlies last season, playing about 11.7 minutes in each outing. Huff averaged 6.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.5% from the field and 40.5% from beyond the arc in his limited minutes.
His versatile offensive game could’ve at least helped the Cs replace some of the spacing they’ve lost by trading away Porzingis. The 26-year-old is an imperfect player, for sure, as is just about anyone on as cheap of a contract as he is. He doesn’t rebound very well for his size and isn’t overly impactful as a defender. But, with Boston’s center rotation looking the way it does, giving up a second-rounder or two for a low-risk contract like Huff’s could’ve been a good move. When looking at Huff’s stats in the seven games where he played over 20 minutes, the upside becomes even more apparent. The North Carolina native averaged 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per contest in those higher-minute outings.
While his fit in Boston will remain a mystery, his ability to rise to the occasion with added opportunity will be tested in Indiana this season, after the Pacers lost Myles Turner in free agency.