LISBON, Portugal — Neemias Queta underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee following the Celtics’ loss to the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs, he confirmed to CLNS Media. Queta returned to the floor earlier in July for conditioning and expects to play in Portugal’s return in the EuroBasket tournament, which begins on Aug. 27 in Latvia against the Czech Republic.
“It’s been good,” Queta told CLNS of his recovery. “We’ve been dealing with this stuff (since) a couple years ago. We just decided it was a great time for us to do it. We’re trying to get back to 100%. We feel pretty confident in the process and we’re just grateful that we were taken care of, and I want to make sure I’m healthy and get back to 100% and I feel like I’m on the right path to do that.”
Queta was first visible doing sprints with a sleeve on his knee following the Celtics’ lone Summer League practice open to media at the Auerbach Center on July 8. He underwent the procedure, which doctors performed in Boston, 10 weeks ago after the team’s postseason loss and the procedure. At his camp in Portugal, Queta continued conditioning toward his return with Taaj Ridley, a Maine Celtics assistant, who put him through finishing, rebounding and shooting drills alongside floor-running drills throughout the week.
He dealt with no visible limitations as the workouts progressed, highlighted by a particularly tough session on Thursday that left him laid out on the floor but feeling fine after. Each day at the camp, Queta received treatment mid-day before returning for the final hours of the daily sessions. Ridley and Queta did their workouts following the conclusion of the camp in the afternoon, with those drills totaling roughly 45 minutes and raising in intensity with each day.
“I don’t think it’s easy,” Queta said of his recovery. “I’ve had a couple before, but I was pretty much rehabbing and just getting strength back into the leg and stuff … we did a lot of the same drills, it’s just different in the aspect of ok, you gotta make sure you eat even better. It’s pretty much a new me and we just want to get it the best possible way we can right away so we have a high ceiling or a high standard … whether it gets set back every now and then, we know we started at a great spot for now.”
Queta emerged as a depth contributor at center for the Celtics in his second season in Boston while Kristaps Porziņģis recovered from his own surgery early last season. He averaged 6.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks, shooting 62.1% in 18.7 minutes per game through his 15 appearances before Porziņģis returned in December.
Per 36 minutes, he posted 12.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks across 62 games in a career-high 13.9 minutes each night. Queta, however, did not consider injury a factor in his reduced role late in the season and into the playoffs. He’s in line for a far greater one now, potentially a starting role, having logged the most experience of any big man on Boston’s roster.
His first season with the Celtics began recovering from a significant injury too, a stress fracture he suffered in his foot that summer before Sacramento released him and Boston acquired him on a two-way contract. Queta missed the first 10 games that season before appearing in 28 NBA games on his way to earning a three-year, $7.2 million contract through 2026-27 after the Celtics won the championship in 2024. He became the first NBA player and champion from Portugal, and turned 26 in July.
“We’re getting there slowly but surely,” he told CLNS. “We’re reconditioning our body, we’re figuring out ways to be athletic, ways to be out there moving well. We’re just trying to figure out the movement patterns to get back and I think it’s going well. I’m really confident in the work that I put in, the amount of hours that I put in and it’s gonna show.”
