We've delved a little into what the Boston Celtics must do if they acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, because as phenomenal as he is, his teams have to be tailor-made to suit him. That's why it's hard to see what Neemias Queta's role would be if Antetokounmpo gets added to the team.
There are virtually two options when incorporating Antetokounmpo into your team: either pair him with a stretch-five or make him your five. Both are valid options, but the problem is, neither work for Queta.
For as good as Queta is, he and Antetokounmpo would not mesh together. At least, offensively, they wouldn't. Because he doesn't provide any floor spacing whatsoever, Queta would clog up the lane, which happens to be Antetokounmpo's bread and butter. The problems would be too noticeable for opponents not to take advantage of.
So where would that leave Queta? Would he be relegated to a backup role after the season he just had? It feels like a massive step back after all the progress he made. Granted, he's not coming off the most encouraging postseason, but he still played well enough to warrant more development.
But it's fair to say that trading for the Greek Freak might pose a real problem for him.
Could Queta be included in the deal?
Perhaps one way Boston could potentially sweeten the pot for Milwaukee in a Giannis trade is to include Queta in it. The Bucks have no use for Queta, but they could re-route him in a deal like they would if, say, Sam Hauser was included in the trade.
Granted, the Celtics seemingly have all the leverage in the world if the only asset being dangled is Jaylen Brown, and hence don't need to dangle anything more unless something changes. There is also the possibility that Queta could be traded somewhere else for another asset.
It wouldn't be easy parting ways with him. Not just because of how far he's come since Boston first added him, but because he's on a team-friendly deal and they would have the advantage if they wanted to re-sign him long-term.
The Celtics could also simply have him play as the backup going forward, but that may not sit right with him after they increased his role with them as much as they did last season. It's not always that simple to transition from starter to bench, especially when you thrived as the former.
But these are the unfortunate consequences when acquiring a basketball titan like Antetokounmpo. It would be painful to get rid of Queta following his breakout season in Boston, but when it means getting the Greek Freak in his prime, you just have to bite the bullet.
Add us as a preferred source on Google