On the heels of losing Luke Kornet to the San Antonio Spurs in free agency, the Boston Celtics quickly addressed the center position. Attempting to make the most of its situation, despite dealing with roster-building restrictions, the franchise signed Luka Garza.
Their second free-agent acquisition was Josh Minott, who is also coming to Boston from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
At Summer League, while discussing continuing their careers together, Garza shared, "I didn't know. It was a surprise, but I called him right away. We were both excited. We've been through a lot together. When he was a rookie, we went down to Iowa together to play the Iowa rules training camp, and we kind of made it up together to the Timberwolves, and [we] are starting to see opportunities for both of us.
"Both of us, quite honestly, did produce when we did get opportunities, but just didn't see too many of them, just because of how stacked of a roster we had. So it's cool to have someone come with you that you have a good relationship with. I feel like we've been always connected on the floor, just playing with each other."
Then, it was Minott's turn to gush over Garza.
"I think we all know he’s unstoppable on the offensive end, for sure," voiced Minott. "So, he’s going to be someone that can really just space the floor. You can’t leave him open. He’s an energy guy. He’s going to get every O-board. That’s what I’ve observed out of him."
Luka Garza's on-court evolution
The Celtics' president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, told Hardwood Houdini that Garza is a "stats darling, but in limited time behind very, very good players."
That's mostly a product of his offensive impact. Garza was the AP Player of the Year while starring for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He averaged 32.2 points in six games with the Iowa Wolves, the Minnesota Timberwolves' G League affiliate, in 2022-23.
In his four years with the parent club, the six-foot-10 center generated 4.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest in 6.3 minutes of playing time across 92 tilts. Last season, he registered 3.5 points per game in 5.6 minutes of playing time in 39 appearances.
While he's excited about what he can bring to Boston offensively, at Summer League, Garza also discussed the defensive strides that will help him maximize his opportunity, with the Celtics' reshuffling their depth chart at center.
"Obviously, there are always adjustments you have to make at every level you go through," said Garza. "For me, I think, number one, just the skill that I have more than anything is playing hard. I think that helps me. It makes up for a lot of the things that I don't have. But obviously, through being in the league [for] four years, I've learned a lot more and have a better understanding, a better IQ on angles, different things that can help me out there, especially on the defensive end.
"And then offensively, that's a side that I have a lot of confidence in," continued Garza. "I can really help a team in many ways: just create good offense, create good flow within it, and always be able to help get shots out there, whether it's for myself or my teammates through screening, passing, whatever it is. I feel like that's a strength of mine that I've been able to show in the times that I've had."