After having one of the deepest frontcourts in the NBA last season, the Boston Celtics are looking very thin at the center spot through two weeks of free agency. Trading away Kristaps Porzingis while also losing Luke Kornet and likely Al Horford leaves them with just Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman Sr. as returning big men.
The additions of Luka Garza and second-round draft pick Amari Williams definitely add bodies to the rotation, but don’t necessarily make up for the aforementioned losses.
Fans now find themselves in an unfamiliar situation. After watching the Cs roll out complete and well-rounded rosters for years, they’re left to wonder how the team will get back to that point in the future. Summer League center Charles Bassey has been the first example of that, with fans online clamoring for the team to sign him to a roster spot.
These are desperate times, indeed.
Richaun Holmes has entered the chat
Thankfully, the Washington Wizards just gave them a new center target to daydream about. Washington recently waived veteran center Richaun Holmes, leaving him free to sign wherever he pleases.
Holmes is somewhat of a journeyman. He’s played for five teams over the course of his 10-year NBA career, most notably spending four seasons with the Sacramento Kings from 2019-20 through 2022-23. Holmes’ time with the Kings was his peak. He averaged double figures in scoring in each of his first three seasons, before being iced out of the rotation in year four.
He was subsequently traded to the Dallas Mavericks that summer, before being flipped to the Wizards after just 23 games.
Since joining the Washington, Holmes has been solid. In 48 total appearances, he averaged 7.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in about 17.3 minutes per game. Holmes actually had his most efficient season since leaving the Kings last year, sinking 66.2% of his attempts from the field.
Unfortunately, he just doesn’t move the needle enough to make sense for the Celtics. Sure, Boston could go after the 31-year-old, but even if he’s better than Queta and Garza, it isn’t by much. With the Cs gearing up to be competitive again once Jayson Tatum is presumably recovered from his ruptured Achilles in the 2026-27 campaign, they’re going to want a better look at the players they’ve already got.
Garza and Queta are both five years younger than Holmes. Giving them reps and time to develop is in the team’s best interest. The pair simply offers more longevity and potential upside than Holmes, who appears to be on the back nine of his career.
Even if the Celtics did sign Holmes, it would be at the expense of someone who’s already on the roster, as Boston has a full squad.
The work and cost are simply not worth the investment at this point.
