According to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Boston Celtics have interest in signing veteran big man Kevon Looney in free agency this summer.
"It's believed that Looney is also on Boston's list of center targets, which is likewise known to feature former Celtics big man Robert Williams III," they wrote.
Looney played 21 games for the New Orleans Pelicans last season, averaging 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 14.7 minutes, after a 10-year stint with the Golden State Warriors. The 30-year-old provides some value on and off the court, and it's easy to see why Boston is interested in him (championship experience, good rebounder - especially on the offensive glass - can switch and guard multiple posistions on defense).
But signing Looney wouldn't solve the biggest question the Celtics still need to answer: Who is their starting center going to be for next season?
Kevin Looney can be a good backup for Boston, but that's it
In theory, Looney would be a fantastic fit for the Celtics. He doesn't need the ball in his hands to make an impact, and he could greatly help with the team's defense against more dominant big men (which was clearly a problem against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers this past postseason).
But is he a starting center on a championship-caliber team in the present day? No. (He wasn't even one in his prime. The Celtics were up 2-1 against Golden State in the 2022 finals until he was benched... then the Warriors won each game the rest of the way.)
Assuming they sign Looney, the Celtics are going to find themselves in a bit of a similar situation the Indiana Pacers found themselves in after Myles Turner's departure last year (a center-by-committee with a bunch of decent centers, but none you can really trust in a playoff series).
Neemias Queta still stands out as the team's best option, but this was exactly what the Celtics are (should be?) trying to fix. He is fresh off a career year and can clearly play, but he's not a ceiling raiser, and his weaknesses can still get exposed. As it stands, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if Boston is fine with giving Queta another year to develop and prove himself, bank on Looney's championship experience/mentorship to fill in the gaps, and then try again next year.
It's not ideal, but that seems like the most realistic option for the Celtics at center right now.
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