The Boston Celtics need a new center this summer. I'm as big a Neemias Queta fan as any, but Boston can't seriously compete for a championship with him as its starting center, and his struggles against Joel Embiid in the playoffs are proof of that.
There aren't a ton of names on the open market, but there is one that the Celtics should seriously look into: Robert Williams III.
Williams spent the first five seasons of his NBA career with the Celtics, who drafted him 27th overall in 2018. The Louisiana native quickly became a fan favorite because of his playstyle, largely because of his high-level defensive impact.
The Celtics ultimately traded Williams to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the 2023 Jrue Holiday trade, but it might be time to bring him back into the mix as he prepares for unrestricted free agency.
The Celtics should reunite with Robert Williams III this summer
Williams has his flaws. He's extremely injury prone (his 59 games this past season is his second-most games played in a season -- he played 61 games during Boston's 2021-22 campaign, which culminated in a finals appearance), he can't shoot (even though he shot 9-for-23 - 39.1% - from deep last season), and he is going to be 29 years old by the start of next season. He's not the same young, potential-filled player he was the last time he rocked the green and white.
But he's also not going to break Boston's bank, he played his best basketball with the Celtics, he has already proven he can win alongside the Jays, and he fills a very specific need. And if he can stay even somewhat healthy, bringing the Time Lord back could pay serious dividends for Boston.
Health is going to be an issue, and that's the unfortunate part of Williams' story. But the Celtics don't have many other realistic options, and getting someone who can drastically impact the game without needing the basketball in his hands is exactly what they should be looking for right now. At the very least, it's a low-risk, high-reward decision they can reverse after a season.
It's also fair to think that what Boston truly needs is a big identity shift. Maybe the team needs to finally move away from "Mazzulla Ball" and stop living and dying by the three. Getting a rim-running center would help them do that, and it would also give them more of an interior presence on both sides of the ball, which they desperately need.
Re-signing Williams wouldn't fix all of the Celtics' problems, but it's at least a start. So, especially if the price is right, this is a move the team absolutely must look into this summer.
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