Former Aggie Center Neemias Queta Inks New Deal With Boston Celtics
Apr 9, 2024, 1:16 PM
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 30: Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics dunks ovr Ben Sheppard #26 of the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter at the TD Garden on January 30, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
BOSTON, Mass – Former Utah State Aggie Neemias Queta has earned a promotion, inking a new deal with the Boston Celtics that converts the big man from a two-way deal to a standard contract.
The Celtics announced they had reached a contract agreement with Queta on Monday, April 8.
We have signed Neemias Queta ☘️ pic.twitter.com/kyA5iLLMjV
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 9, 2024
The terms of the deal were not announced, but league rules prohibit the Celtics from signing Queta for more than two seasons.
In 26 games with the Celtics, Queta is averaging 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 61.4% from the field in 11.4 minutes per night.
About Neemias Queta
The first Portuguese-born player in NBA history has traveled a long road to becoming an NBA regular. When the 24-year-old center signed with Utah State in 2018, he had no other college offers to play basketball.
He set multiple school records and was named Mountain West All-Defense all three years with the Aggies. The seven-footer was named MW Freshman of the Year and MW Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 after setting the program’s single-season record for blocked shots with 84.
Neemias Queta earned himself a promotion! ☘️
Congrats to the @maineceltics big man on having his two-way contract with the @celtics converted into a standard deal. pic.twitter.com/zJZjzG7BZK
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) April 9, 2024
As a sophomore, Queta averaged 13 points, 7.8 boards, and 1.7 blocks while making MW All-Defense and Second-Team All-MW for the second time.
In his junior and final season at Utah State, Queta set the school record for blocks in a season (97) and blocks per game (3.3) while scoring 14.9 points and hitting 55.9 percent of his field goal attempts. He finished the season with his only First-Team All-MW selection and his second MW DPOY award. Nationally, Queta was recognized as the USBWA District VIII Player of the Year, the Bleacher Report National Defensive Player of the Year, and was one of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.
The Sacramento Kings selected Queta with the 39th pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He signed a two-way contract with the Kings and made his NBA debut on December 17 of that year. He became the first Portuguese player to score points in an NBA game, finishing with 11 points against Cleveland on January 11, 2022.
After last night's monster game, Neemias Queta told me how he's learned from Luke Kornet, who was once in a similar situation as him in Maine.
"A lot of the stuff he tells me, I just try and translate. He's been a great vet for me."
Today, Queta signs a standard contract. pic.twitter.com/3SNG2wAxY3
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) April 9, 2024
Queta signed a standard contract with Sacramento in 2023 but was waived a month later.
In September 2023, the former Aggie signed a two-way deal with the Celtics and has been with the franchise since.
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Brian Preece is a KSLsports.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s coverage of the Bees, Big League Utah, and Aggie athletics here.
