News Celtics Team Notes

[Boston Celtics]

Torrey Craig tells his favorite Joe Mazzulla story: A standoff with Baylor Scheierman

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Torrey Craig recalled Joe Mazzulla and Baylor Scheierman waiting for nearly one hour to let the other pass through a doorway.

When Baylor Scheierman joined The Garden Report earlier this month, he smiled and shared one of his earliest interactions with Joe Mazzulla when asked for his his best Joe story. He and Mazzulla met as training camp concluded, and Mazzulla told Scheierman he doesn’t like rookies. So he faced an uphill battle to accumulating playing time.

Scheierman didn’t share the best one.

Impending Celtics free agent Torrey Craig joined me and Noa Dalzell this week ahead of his free agency and revealed another Scheierman-Mazzulla interaction from 2024-25. After Craig joined the team in February, he heard that Mazzulla and Scheierman met at a doorway in the arena before a game. Both of them offered to let the other pass first, and a standoff ensued.

“I guess Joe and Baylor was like, ‘no, you go first. Oh no, you go first. No, you go first. No, you got it,’” Craig said.

“And I just remember coming from working out and Baylor was standing in a towel in the hallway with his back against the wall and Joe was laying down on the table right there, and they were both on opposite sides of the door ... I was just wondering, ‘oh, OK,’ and then I came back 20 minutes later, they’re still there, and then you come back 20 minutes later, and they’re still there. They both waited for at least an hour before I think we had a meeting or something and that was the only thing that stopped them from staying there.”

Craig believed Mazzulla wanted to test Scheierman’s mental strength with the interaction, from which Craig declared Mazzulla the winner. While Mazzulla’s tendencies surprised some Celtics when they encountered them for the first time, Craig observed them from afar while playing for the Bulls earlier in the season. Craig even cited Mazzulla’s coaching style as part of the reason he joined the Celtics after Chicago bought him out.

Mazzulla regularly praised Craig for contributions as small as one minute in games and for how he conducted himself through inconsistent playing time. Craig only logged 11.8 minutes per game over 17 appearances through Boston’s final 28 games. Then, he did not crack the playoff rotation.

Craig shared some regret on the podcast over not playing more assertively in his opportunities, something he normally doesn’t carry following a season. He appreciated the bond he and his son Braylon formed with Mazzulla and teammates, nonetheless. That included an opportunity for Braylon to address the team before an April game.

“Joe, he’s a great guy. He’s a great father, great family man,” Craig said. “Like how he was with my son, letting him talk in the locker room before the game and trying to get the guys going a little bit, that’s very rare in this league to have coaches like that and I think that’s part of what makes him special.”

Craig becomes a free agent next month alongside Al Horford, who also returned to Boston’s facility alongside Payton Pritchard and younger players ramping up for Summer League. Craig wanted to spend time with Braylon and get back to work, since he doesn’t like longer layoffs. In July, he’ll host his fourth annual Torrey Craig day giving back to Great Falls, South Carolina, where he attended college.

Craig expressed interest in returning to the Celtics, but said he’ll take a business approach and see what makes most sense for himself. Boston currently has three open standard roster spots and two three-way deals. If Craig departs this summer, he’ll do so having never taken Mazzulla up on his offer to attend a jiu-jitsu class.

“I just think it was who had the mental to wait the longest to see,” Craig said of Scheierman and Mazzulla’s exchange. “I think with Joe, he’s a natural competitor. He played in college. He does all this fighting and training. He also tried to get me to come to a session with him and his trainer, but I quickly (declined) that, but yeah, I think everything is mental for Joe.”

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/6/...tandoff-with-baylor-scheierman-boston-celtics

 

[Boston Celtics]

Catch Game 7 Pacers vs. Thunder live on Playback

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

One game for all the marbles.

We shouldn’t be surprised that we have a Game 7.

The Pacers have given us too many reasons not to believe in them at this point. But I still can’t believe it. Two very different realities await us; either the Indiana Pacers will shock the world one more time, or the Oklahoma City Thunder cap off their dominant season the way most people thought they would, while avoiding one of the biggest upsets in professional sports history. Catch the Game 7 action live in the CelticsBlog Playback room.

Download the Playback app today and be part of the conversation as the action unfolds.

And while you’re here, enjoy some highlights from Game 6 in the CelticsBlog Playback room.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/6/...y-thunder-live-playback-tyrese-haliburton-sga

 

[Boston Celtics]

CelticsBlog exit interview: Baylor Schowmanship and the path to playing time

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

By the end of the regular season, Scheierman had

On the surface, to evaluate Baylor Scheierman’s rookie season is to get hyped over an And-1 mixtape. The kid certainly had 2024-2025 highlights with an unabashed showmanship for the game.

“I watched Rondo a lot. Rondo, Pistol Pete, Jason Williams. I’ll add a little bit of flare to it,” Scheierman told CLNS’ Garden Report. Behold that flare from CelticsBlog’s Nate Moskowitz:

Baylor Scheierman rookie highlights pic.twitter.com/cLhVQ6MLxS

— Pull up shoot  (@NElGHT_) May 25, 2025​

That abandon from a rookie might suggest that the game is slowing down for him and he’s getting acclimated to the strength and speed of the pro game. However, a sweet behind-the-back pass or lefty three isn't going to just immediately engender him to his head coach, Joe Mazzulla.

What’s important to recognize is that Scheierman was a producer all year. In fourteen games up in Maine last season, Scheierman exhibited the same potential (20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 40.8% shooting from behind the arc) that he displayed in his final season at Creighton (18.5 points, 9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 38.1 3FG%).

The numbers translated in the G League and they popped off the box score in late regular season wins against Philadelphia (15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Brooklyn (20 points on 6-of-7 shooting from 3). It’s that all-around game that could make him a regular contributor next season.

Sure, there are concerns that he’s a defensive liability that lacks the athleticism for the next level and his game won’t scale up given an opportunity. But what we’ve learned from the Finals is that if you’re a gamer, you can find yourself on the floor for a championship team.

“A lot of people say Joe Ingles. I like that comp,” Scheierman told our Bobby Manning and Noa Dalzell of his player comparison. “I like watching Austin Reaves play. Max Strus. All those guys.”

Boston’s roster has been built around players like that, players that can do a little bit of everything. Scheierman is of that mold. At 6’6, he can shoot, attack close outs, and make plays off the dribble as a ballhandler. He noted that passing is probably his “best quality.” Out of the Celtics’ stock of young wings that also includes Jordan Walsh and Drew Peterson, he might be the best prepared to enter the rotation with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum on the shelf and Sam Hauser a possible cap cut.

“I’d like to gain a few more pounds and try to keep that on. Other than that, keep my body in good shape,” Scheierman said of his offseason plans. “On the court, I worked a ton with Craig [Luschenat] this year...on changing speeds and different finishes around the rim. I am a shooter, but I can do a lot of other different things...continuing to get better shooting off the move and distance as well.”

With the team seemingly looking to draft either a guard or big in Wednesday’s draft, that direction might signal their confidence in what they’ve got in wing depth, particularly with Scheierman. If the rookie’s late season surge was any indication, the showman is ready for the spotlight.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/6/...erman-and-path-to-playing-time-boston-celtics

 

[Boston Celtics]

Brad Stevens provides Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown injury updates in draft night presser

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

Both Celtics stars have been working out at the practice facility — but are on very different timelines as they recover from their surgeries.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both regularly at the Auerbach Center rehabbing after both undergoing surgery this Spring, Brad Stevens said in a draft night press conference late Wednesday.

Tatum, who ruptured his Achilles tendon on May 12th, is expected to miss most, if not all, of next season.

Brown, meanwhile, underwent a minor knee surgery on June 11th and is expected to be available for training camp.

Here’s what Brad Stevens had to say about both stars’ injury status, in full.

Jayson Tatum has “progressed great”, but there’s no timeline for return​

Six weeks after Jayson Tatum underwent surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles, there’s no return-to-play timeline.

It sounds like that will be the case for a long while, too.

“We don’t and we won’t [have a timeline],” Stevens said. “We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time, and as we look at it, there’s no reason to. It’s baby steps right now.”

No timeline doesn’t mean things haven’t been going well for the six-time All-Star, who has been rehabbing at the Auerbach Center on a daily basis.

Jayson Tatum in good spirits as he gets a visit from Torrey Craig pic.twitter.com/Co5AGHVuON

— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) June 9, 2025​

“He’s actually progressed great,” Stevens said. “But I don’t know what that means with regard to projected timelines, and that’ll be in consultation with him and [Celtics trainers] Nick [Sang] and Phil Coles and everybody else to make sure that when he hits the court, he is fully ready and fully healthy. That will be the priority.”

Jaylen Brown is already doing light on-court work ​

Brown is in a much different position than Tatum, having undergone a far less serious operation for a partially torn meniscus. But, like Tatum, Brown has regularly been at the Auerbach Center rehabbing with his Celtics trainer, Drew Moore.

Brown was walking with the assistance of a crutch at a community event last Thursday, and Stevens said late Wednesday night that he’s returned to the court.

Jaylen Brown is here (using one crutch) at the Boys and Girls Club in Dorchester to meet students and give away @741Performance shoes

Kids going crazy seeing him pic.twitter.com/lpPn1JDLXb

— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) June 19, 2025​

“He’s doing great,” Stevens said. “His rehab looks good. He was actually on the court the other day doing some ball handling and doing some light work around the rim. Nothing big movement-wise yet.”

Stevens said he expects Brown to be ready “well ahead” of training camp.

Tatum and Brown both spending so much time at the Auerbach Center in the offseason is not the norm, Stevens said.

“It’s usually the time of the year when I don’t see those guys a lot,” he said. “They usually go and kind of rest, and get away, but they’ve both prioritized getting better and rehabbing, and after a long season, I appreciate that about them.”

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/6/...meline-jaylen-brown-knee-surgery-brad-stevens

 

[Boston Celtics]

Celtics’ second round prospects at #32

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

There are plenty of exciting candidates available for Boston on Day 2 of the NBA Draft.

With the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft in the books, Boston has made their first of two selections. Brad Stevens and the front office surprised many by taking 19-year-old Spanish prospect Hugo González from Real Madrid (SF, 6’6, 223 pounds).

Tonight, Boston find themselves drafting in the enviable second slot on Day 2 with the 32nd pick of the draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves will pick ahead of them and then the C’s will be on the clock.

Boston is faced with an intriguing mix of size, skill and NBA-ready talent still available at the start of the second round. Here is a quick look at some of the talented candidates still on the draft big board for Boston at pick #32:

Bigs​

Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton • Sr • 7’1” | 257 pounds

Rasheer Fleming, PF, Saint Joseph’s • Jr • 6’8” | 232 pounds

Maxime Raynaud, C, Stanford • Sr • 7’0” | 237 pounds

Johni Broome, C, Auburn • Sr • 6’9” | 249 pounds

Bogoljub Markovic, PF, KK Mega Basket (Serbia) • 6’11” | 190 pounds

Rasheer Fleming, Vertical leap drill, 2025 NBA Draft Combine

WINGS​

Noah Penda, SF, Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France) • 6’8” | 225 pounds

Adou Thiero, SF, Arkansas • Jr • 6’6” | 218 pounds

Alex Toohey, SF, Sydney Kings (Australia) • 6’8” | 223 pounds

Koby Brea, SF, Kentucky • Sr • 6’6” | 202 pounds

Alex Toohey, Full court scrimmage, 2025 NBA Draft Combine

GUARDS​

Kam Jones, PG, Marquette • Sr • 6’3” | 202 pounds

Chaz Lanier, SG, Tennessee • Sr • 6’4” | 206 pounds

Ryan Nembhard, PG, Gonzaga • Sr • 5’11” | 176 pounds

Tyrese Proctor, SG, Duke • Jr • 6’4” | 183 pounds

Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images
Kam Jones, Lane agility drill, 2025 NBA Draft Combine

---

Boston’s newest additions will be eligible to play in the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League, which starts on Thursday, July the 10th. Stay tuned to CelticsBlog for all the coverage this summer.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/celtics...er-rasheer-fleming-maxime-renaud-johni-broome

 

[Boston Celtics]

How Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams fit with Boston — and each other

Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images

Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams’ complementary skill sets perfectly fit Boston’s future and could form a dynamic duo off the bench.

In an offseason where the Celtics are retooling their roster for the future, Brad Stevens used the NBA Draft to reinforce a clear organizational pivot: prioritize movement, versatility, and defensive depth.

When the Celtics lost to the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs this past season, their lack of ball movement and pace was apparent. Countless times, the Celtics had stagnant offensive possessions where the ball never entered the paint and even missed transition opportunities by bringing the ball up the floor far too deliberately.

Watching the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers — two fast-paced, movement-heavy teams — battle it out in the NBA Finals only amplified the need for Boston to alter its approach. The league’s elite teams are younger, faster, and deeper. Brad knows that if the Celtics want to continue contending for championships until Tatum and Brown retire, they need to evolve not just their roster, but their philosophy:

Brad Stevens says he could feel it during the postseason when the Celtics' offense got stagnant. He pointed to the two Finals teams as groups that played with elite ball and player movement, and said the Celtics will strive to get back to that next season.

— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) June 26, 2025​

This stylistic evolution is exactly why the Celtics drafted Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams. Let’s break it down.

Hugo Gonzalez​

Gonzalez thrived off the ball. Coming from a Real Madrid team stacked with veterans and former NBA talent, he rarely had the ball in his hands — but when he did, he made it count. He was constantly making backdoor cuts, filling open space, tipping in rebounds, and hammering down putback dunks.

He plays with instinct and rarely misses an opportunity to make a smart read or hustle play. Gonzalez is an incredibly savvy player and brings a flair of the European game that emphasizes pace, flow, and reads over isolation.

One thing I really like about Gonzalez's game, is his willingness to cut off ball, especially from the slot and wing.

Seems to have a solid feel and timing on those cuts, and looks comfortable scoring in traffic. pic.twitter.com/AYE0XuZJuY

— Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) June 26, 2025​

The fit here is obvious. Gonzalez will be surrounded by Boston’s stars who dominate the ball, allowing him to do what he does best — create without it. His off-ball movement will inject some much-needed variety into the Celtics’ offense, lifting them out of their stagnant lulls.

In addition to his offensive upside, Gonzalez has an equally high motor on the defensive end. When watching Gonzalez's tape, I was shocked at how consistently he picked up ball handlers 94 feet from the basket. He will help repair some of the defense the Celtics lost in the offseason while also complementing a fast-paced, defensively focused style of basketball.

Amari Williams​

Next is Williams, who fits the Celtics’ system — and Gonzalez — just as naturally.

Williams was widely regarded as the best passing big in this draft class. With a 7’0”, 260-pound frame, he has the size to command the paint and the basketball IQ to dissect a defense like a quarterback. At Kentucky, he often anchored possessions from the post or the high elbow, finding cutters with clever bounce passes and spraying passes to open shooters.

Even better, he won’t slow Boston down. In today’s NBA, many traditional bigs get played off the floor in fast-paced matchups, like Isaiah Hartenstein in the NBA Finals. But Williams can keep up in the open floor. If he’s not finishing in transition, he’s usually the one who initiated it. One of my favorite plays of Williams college career was this full-court dime:

Oh, some Kevin Love inspiration, I see... pic.twitter.com/YcNzhQPt71

— Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) June 27, 2025​

Defensively, he has real potential as a paint anchor. With a 7’6” wingspan and strong vertical instincts, Williams has the tools to anchor the paint in his minutes off the bench. His shot-blocking instincts should generate plenty of fast-break opportunities for Boston’s guards.

Rookie Synergy​

Together, Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams could be a dynamic pairing off the bench for Boston. With Williams operating surgically from the high post and Gonzalez cutting from every angle, there’s real chemistry potential between these two rookies.

Defensively, their skills mesh perfectly. Gonzalez’s ability to pressure ball handlers full court pairs well with Williams’ rim protection, giving the Celtics more options to disrupt offenses and generate transition chances.

As they develop, this duo could become essential to Boston’s next installment in the Tatum and Brown era.

Although there is plenty to be uncertain about with Boston, one thing is clear: Brad Stevens has a plan — and Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams fit seamlessly into his vision.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/6/28/24457582/hugo-gonzalez-amari-williams-boston-celtics-future

 

[Boston Celtics]

Brad Stevens isn’t done making deals

Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Expect the Celtics to continue to maximize their flexibility and positioning themselves for both the near and long term

Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics got the offseason kicked off with a bang by trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in order to get themselves under the dreaded 2nd Apron. They followed that up with a selection in the first round of the draft, a day two draft trade, and a couple more picks in the 2nd round (which by the way, saved them even more money).

Next #Celtics date to watch: JD Davison's team option due SUN. Declining would drop C's below the 3rd tax bracket, bring their tax hit down to ~$43M & pull them within $5.1M of the 1st apron line, $12.8M of the tax line

Not drafting a 2R to a roster deal saved them about $2.3M

— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) June 27, 2025​

Even with all that movement and activity, we’re still just a few days into the offseason calendar. It seems silly to point this out, but there’s plenty of time for Brad to keep wheeling and dealing.

Note: I believe the Celtics when they say they never seriously considered trading Brown or White. You always have to listen in case they offer a ridiculously stupid overpay package, but even then you still need to put star level talent around Tatum or else you are messing with something special.

Free agency will open soon and some of the trades that have been agreed to around the league haven’t even been finalized yet. So there’s still a chance that the Celtics could expand those deals or flip some of the incoming players elsewhere.

In fact, we have at least two sources that have indicated that Stevens is trying to do just that.

From MassLive’s Brian Robb

However, with free agency approaching and the Celtics prioritizing bringing back free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet, league sources tell MassLive that the Celtics are expected to remain active in the trade market while retooling their roster. The team is expected to explore their options with newly acquired talent like Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang and other parts of the roster including Sam Hauser.

From The Athletic’s Jay King

Looking to continue shedding salary, the Celtics have explored the idea of flipping Simons’ $27.7 million expiring contract, according to league sources. In such a move, they would be aiming to accomplish two organizational directives Brad Stevens emphasized after the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday: regaining more roster flexibility and setting up a path to retain free agents Luke Kornet and Al Horford.

We’ve heard a lot from the Celtics about maximizing that flexibility. Some of that is just code for cutting costs. However, those cost cutting moves do allow you to make moves and could even open up enough space to help us re-sign our centers and/or hang onto Sam Hauser (who’s on a very good value contract for his production).

Both Simons and Niang inherently give the Celtics flexibility since they are on expiring contracts. They can be dealt right away or the team could wait till the trade deadline. Those two along with Sam Hauser all possess the very valuable skillset of being able to shoot the ball with high efficiency.

The roster and depth chart might not make a ton of sense at this moment, and that’s ok. There’s still plenty of time to put together a more cohesive short term roster while maintaining the flexibility to make moves later on. The team might not be willing to say this out loud, but it almost doesn’t matter what the roster looks like on opening night. (And there will be no shortage of mini-goals that the coaching staff will have for the players) As long as it all makes sense and is ready to compete at the highest levels when Jayson Tatum returns to the court.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/6/...-making-deals-boston-celtics-nba-trade-rumors

 

[Boston Celtics]

Celtics decide upon future of G League MVP — for now

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The team picked up JD Davison’s team option after his G League MVP season — but it’s non-guaranteed.

The Celtics have exercised JD Davison’s team option for the upcoming season, Michael Scotto of Hoop Hype first reported. The one-year deal is non-guaranteed, per the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, and will be worth $2.27 million.

Last year, Davison had the best G League season of his career, averaging 25.6 points, 7.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals en route to being named G League MVP.

Davison, who was drafted with the 53rd overall pick by the Celtics in 2022, had spent the last three seasons on a two-way contract with the Celtics, but has gotten limited on-court opportunities with the parent club. He appeared in a career-high 16 NBA games last year, but in his three-year career, he’s only played 198 regular-season NBA minutes.

If Davison does stick around next year, he could be presented with a larger opportunity, as Jrue Holiday, who started at guard for the past two seasons, was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this week. Davison could also still be used in a trade or waived, given the non-guaranteed nature of his contract.

Last year, Davison’s teammates sang his praises and expressed their belief he was ready for the next level.

“JD is a really good passer, and he has a really good feel for the game, especially when he’s playing pick-and-roll,” Al Horford said. “He’s a real guard. He’s able to kind of manipulate the defense. And then his ability to get to the basket, he’s really explosive.”

In the spring, Holiday said he expects Davison to make the transition to the NBA soon.

“He’s definitely going to be a really good NBA player,” Holiday said.

Ahead of the playoffs, the Celtics converted his two-way contract to a standard deal, with a team option in the second year. That option has now been exercised.

“I just felt it was the right thing to do because of what he’s done for our program and what he’s done as a player and what he’s done as a person off the court,” Joe Mazzulla said after Davison’s contract was first converted. “So, I’m really happy for him.”

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/6/29/24458492/celtics-g-league-jd-davison

 

[Boston Celtics]

CelticsBlog community poll: grade the Celtics 2025 Draft

Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images

How do you feel about Boston’s draft haul?

The 2025 NBA Draft has concluded, and all the camera crews have left the Barclays Center for another year. We invite our CelticsBlog readers to give your thoughts on Boston’s draft haul this year.

After Night 1 of the draft, Brad Stevens continuously mentioned “flexibility,” and that certainly played out on Day 2, as the Celtics moved back and gained additional draft capital.

In an international twist, Brad Stevens and the front office selected players from Spain, England, and Ukraine, respectively. As we study the tape and learn more, we want to see what the fanbase thinks. Hugo González is the first Spanish first round pick since 2021 when Usman Garuba and Santi Aldama were selected.

Photo by Sonia Canada/Getty Images

The summary of assets Boston came away with after the 2025 NBA Draft are:

Pick #28 Hugo González, Real Madrid (Spain) SF, • 6’6” | 207 pounds (19 yrs)

Traded back from #32 in the second round with the Orlando Magic for 2 future second round picks (2026, 2027) and the 2 picks below:

Pick #46 Amari Williams, C, Kentucky • Sr • 7’0” | 262 pounds (23 yrs)

Pick #57 Max Shulga, PG/SG, VCU • Sr • 6’5” | 206 pounds (23 yrs)

---

Drop a grade in our poll below and sound off in the comments section.

---

Various media outlets have started to grade all the teams and Boston’s grade varies. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie graded Boston a B-, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton gave Boston a C+, Yahoo Sports Kevin O’Connor gave the Celtics a B+, whilst CBS Sports David Cobb gave Boston a B overall.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/6/...draft-hugo-gonzalez-amari-williams-max-shulga

 

[Boston Celtics]

Celtics sign free agent center Luka Garza

Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images

Former college star signed two-year vet minimum with Boston.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Celtics have signed former Iowa standout and Minnesota Timberwolves center Luka Garza to a 2-year, $5.5 million veteran minimum contract. In 39 games with Minnesota last season Garza averaged 3.5 PPG and 1.4 REB on 49.5% shooting from the field and 27.8% from three.

Free agent center Luka Garza has agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million fully guaranteed deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN. The Celtics negotiated the new deal with Garza's representatives Mark Bartelstein and Kieran Piller of @PrioritySports tonight. pic.twitter.com/d5x5HzGYIL

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025​

According to The Athletic's Jay King, the Celtics have been a fan of Garza for a while according to Jon Krawczynski of the Athletic. He said Boston has made inquires for Garza in the past with Minnesota and finally were able to acquire him.

This signing came minutes after Luke Kornet signed a 4-year/$41 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs and with Al Horford still a free agent, Garza has a chance to play real minutes for the first time in his NBA career. Garza was a standout college player at Iowa where he was a two time National Player of the Year and two time Kareem Abdul-Jabar Award Winner, given to the best center in college basketball.

He also found great success in the G League early on in his career as he was named to the All-NBA G League Third Team and NBA G League All-Rookie Team in 2022. He was also named to the NBA G League Next Up Game for back to back seasons where he won MVP of the game in 2023 and played in 2024.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/6/...t-center-luka-garzabrad-stevens-nba-offseason