The Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers is a good reminder that for the Boston Celtics to get back to a championship level, they need to upgrade their frontcourt.
The Knicks and Cavs have plenty of very good guards, but they also benefit from strong frontcourts. New York has Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson at center, while Cleveland has Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
The center duo of Neemias Queta and Luka Garza did a nice job for the Celtics during the regular season. Queta was even a legitimate candidate for Most Improved Player of the Year. But in the playoffs, this duo got exposed as not being good enough for a team with title aspirations.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens talked about his team’s need to be better at the rim offensively during a press conference earlier this month.
“One of the things that we’ve got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim, and I think we do need to add to our team to do that,” Stevens said. “Everybody plays a role in that, but at the end of (Game 7), (Joel) Embiid is standing at the rim on all those possessions or a lot of those possessions.”
He also added: “I think the biggest thing is, can we generate looks at the rim? Yeah, everybody wants to do that, and every one of us would prefer a dunk over a 3. Every single one of us. Those are hard to get, and we struggle to generate them.”
So, how can the Celtics improve at center this offseason? Let’s look at some of their best options in free agency, the trade market and the 2026 NBA Draft.
2026 NBA Draft
The Celtics, unlike several contenders, own their 2026 first-round pick. But after finishing as the second-place team in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, they won’t pick until No. 27 overall in Round 1.
It’s not easy to get an impact player at the end of the first round, but the C’s have done a nice job finding competent role players in this range in recent seasons. The best examples include Robert Williams (No. 27, 2018), Payton Pritchard (No. 26, 2020), Baylor Scheierman (No. 30, 2024) and Hugo Gonzalez (No. 28, 2025).
Here’s a list of centers who might be available by the time the C’s are on the clock.
Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina
Veesar averaged 17 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 42.1 percent from 3-point range last season.
Zuby Ejiofor, PF/C, St. John’s
Ejiofor is a physical force who can protect the rim, but his lack of a 3-point shot could make him a bad fit for Joe Mazzulla’s offensive scheme. He also averaged 7.7 rebounds per game over the last two seasons.
Tarris Reed Jr., PF/C, UConn
Reed is listed at 6-foot-11 and grabbed 9.0 rebounds per game for a Huskies team that reached the national championship game last season.
NBA trade market
Chris Forsberg and Kayla Burton react to the swirling rumors linking the Celtics to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Should Boston make a move for Giannis?
The best player who could be traded this summer is Milwaukee Bucks superstar big man and two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on May 11 that the Bucks are “open for business on trade calls and offers” for Antetokounmpo.
Any potential Celtics trade involving Antetokounmpo would likely have to involve Jaylen Brown due to salary reasons and the fact that the cost to get the Bucks’ star will be high.
But trading a player of Brown’s caliber is a huge risk. He again proved this past season that he’s an All-NBA caliber player after setting career highs with 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. His fantastic season resulted in him finishing sixth in MVP voting.
The duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum has already won a title, and there’s no reason why the C’s can’t build around those two stars and chase Banner 19 as early as next season. Brown is also two years younger than Antetokounmpo and less injury prone.
Antetokounmpo is still an elite player, though. He has averaged 30.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game over the last five seasons. He is an absolute force in the paint both offensively and defensively. If the C’s really want to create more dunks and improve their rim protection, a trade for Antetokounmpo is probably the most impactful move possible. Antetokounmpo leads all players in dunks per game over the last two years.
But the more likely route for the Celtics from a trade perspective is probably acquiring a big man via the $27.7 million traded player exception (TPE) they created as part of the Anfernee Simons trade with the Chicago Bulls back in February. It’s a sizable chunk of money the Celtics can use to absorb a large salary.
Let’s take a look at the best potential big man trade targets with salaries that fit inside Boston’s largest TPE.
Nic Claxton, C, Nets
- 2026-27 Salary: $23.1 million
- 2025-26 Stats: 57.1 FG%, 11.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.1 bpg (69 games)
The Nets are still in rebuild mode, so flipping Claxton for draft picks and/or a player(s) would make sense for them. Claxton is listed at 6-foot-11 and has averaged 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in his career.
Wendell Carter Jr., C, Magic
- 2026-27 Salary: $18.1 million
- 2025-26 Stats: 51.2 FG%, 31.9 3P%, 11.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.6 bpg (78 games)
The Magic have a ton of huge salaries, so it would benefit them to move out some money. Carter is a reliable double-digit scorer and a good rebounder. He’s not a dominant shot blocker but does bring good size (6-foot-10, 270 pounds) to the frontcourt.
The Magic ranked 28th in 3-point percentage during the regular season, and given Boston’s abundance of good outside shooters, these two teams make sense as potential trade partners.
Daniel Gafford, PF/C, Mavericks
- 2026-27 Salary: $17.2 million
- 2025-26 Stats: 65.5 FG%, 9.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.3 bpg (55 games)
Gafford is an athletic center listed at 6-foot-10 and 255 pounds. He can reliably provide 10-plus points (a true lob threat, too) and around 7-8 rebounds per game. He’s also a good shot blocker. Gafford plays his role very well, but he’s missed more than 20 games due to injury each of the last two seasons.
He is signed through 2028-29 with an average annual salary of about $18.2 million, which is a team-friendly deal for the value he brings.
Isaiah Stewart, PF/C, Pistons
- 2026-27 Salary: $17.2 million
- 2025-26 Stats: 55 FG%, 10 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.6 bpg (58 games)
Jalen Duren is an RFA this summer and could get a massive raise from the Pistons. If that happens, would Detroit be willing to give Stewart a large deal of his own in the summer of 2028? Stewart is signed for just $15 million in 2026-27 with a team option for 2027-28. It’s a great contract.
Stewart had a rough conference semifinals series versus the Cavaliers, but overall, he had a strong 2025-26 campaign for the Pistons. He averaged 10 points per game and played exceptional defense. He’s a little undersized at 6-foot-8, but the combination of very good defense, physicality, shot blocking and the ability to provide double-digit scoring would make him a nice fit for Boston’s play style.
NBA free agency
The free agent market for centers, at least among unrestricted free agents, is pretty weak. The Celtics are expected to have access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which should be around $15 million.
Here are some players who might fit into the MLE.
Mitchell Robinson, C, Knicks
- 2025-26 Stats: 72.3 FG%, 5.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.2 bpg (60 games)
- 2025-26 Salary: $13 million
Robinson is an intimidating figure in the paint at 7-foot and 240 pounds. He also averaged 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for one of the league’s top 10 defenses. He doesn’t shoot 3-pointers and struggles at the free throw line, but the defense, physicality and rebounding he brings more than make up for those two weaknesses.
Robinson made an average yearly salary of $15 million over the last four seasons, which is about what the Celtics have available with the MLE. If he wants a good-sized raise, the Celtics probably won’t be able to afford him.
Andre Drummond, C, 76ers
- 2025-26 Stats: 47.2 FG%, 6.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 0.8 bpg (60 games)
- 2025-26 Salary: $5 million
Drummond is a big body in the paint at 6-foot-11 and 280 pounds. He’s still a very good rebounder but doesn’t provide a ton of offense.
Robert Williams III, C, Trail Blazers
- 2025-26 Stats: 70.8 FG%, 6.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.5 bpg (59 games)
- 2025-26 Salary: $13.2 million
Williams was a fan favorite in Boston from 2018 through 2023. He’s a very good defensive player and a top-tier shot blocker with impressive athleticism. The problem is durability. Williams has been injury prone throughout his career. He has missed 20-plus games in all but one of his eight pro seasons.
Jock Landale, C, Hawks
- 2025-26 Stats: 51.5 FG%, 10.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.5 bpg (68 games)
- 2025-26 Salary: $2.3 million
Landale averaged a career high in scoring last season, and he improved his 3-point shooting to an impressive 38 percent. He plays with great energy and physicality at 6-foot-11 and 255 pounds. Landale would be an upgrade over Luka Garza.
