Standout Minimum Players: Projecting Upcoming Contract Situations
In the fifth part of this series, we preview 14 minimum salaried players across the league who broke out and may receive a significant raise on their next contract.
Third Apron’s contract projection series is going full steam ahead. Over the past two weeks, more than 40 extension-eligible players were analyzed, each receiving a thorough market evaluation with their team’s cap situation weighed in to arrive at a likely outcome.
The next few weeks shift focus to players who are set to become free agents, or who could become one. Most of these players are heading toward free agency because their options are likely to be declined, or they simply are not extension-eligible based on the structure of their contracts. Most of these players signed one or two-year deals or extended their contracts by just one season.
This installment focuses on players earning veteran minimum salaries who have stood out this season. They may not be in line for significant raises, but they have made a strong case for larger roles or at least extended careers in the NBA.
More from this series: Current Extension Eligible Players Part 1 | Current Extension Eligible Players Part 2 | Current Extension Eligible Players Part 3 | Current Extension Eligible Players Part 4
Neemias Queta | De’Anthony Melton | Collin Gillespie | Jordan Goodwin | Sandro Mamukelashvili | Jock Landale | Javonte Green | Landry Shamet | Honorable mentions
Neemias Queta (Boston Celtics)
Neemias Queta is having a breakout season with significant improvements across the board. He is performing like an above-average starting center as an elite interior presence with great finishing ability, strong rebounding, and a meaningful role in anchoring one of the better defenses in the league. It is no wonder he has emerged as a Most Improved Player candidate.
Queta is in the third year of a three-year minimum salary contract. The Celtics signed him coming off their 2024 championship, at which point he was the fifth-string center behind Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Xavier Tillman. They could have easily let him walk, but their belief in him produced a long-term commitment, including two fully guaranteed seasons on the deal.
His $2.4 million salary makes him one of the biggest contract bargains in the league, and arguably the single greatest value among all minimum earners this season. If the Celtics pick up his $2.7 million team option, that distinction will carry over into next year as well.
Based on this season alone, Queta’s floor in free agency should be the $15.1 million mid-level exception (MLE), which most teams could offer him. His value is probably higher, closer to the $17 million annual range that Daniel Gafford received on his recent extension with the Mavericks. If he sustains this level of play for another season, he could be looking at something approaching 12 percent of the salary cap annually, similar to what Jarrett Allen and Jakob Poeltl are currently earning.
The Celtics have a choice between picking up Queta’s option for another year or restructuring his contract at a higher amount. After going through significant salary cap gymnastics to get below the luxury tax this season, they will be looking to stay there again in 2026-27. The most straightforward path is picking up the option, but there is a way to thread the needle and give Queta a raise while preserving their flexibility.
The Celtics currently project to be $16 million below the $201.7 million luxury tax line for 2026-27. As discussed in last week’s extension-eligible post, they may want to use some of that room to re-sign Nikola Vucevic or replace him with another veteran center. An alternative would be giving Queta a raise above his $2.7 million team option amount while signing or trading for an additional big man using a portion of the mid-level exception or the veteran minimum.
If the Celtics decline his option, Queta becomes an unrestricted free agent with full Bird rights, allowing them to re-sign him for up to any amount, including the ranges described above. As with other option-year players covered in this series, giving Queta a raise now would come with him accepting a discount on his annual salary over the life of the deal.
For example, if both sides agree on a four-year, $80 million valuation, they could structure a four-year, $70 million contract starting as low as $15.6 million in year one. The Celtics would save roughly $3 million annually in years two through four in exchange for subsidizing a $13 million raise upfront.
As practical as that sounds, restructuring Queta’s salary for next year may be more theoretical than real. Bumping him to $15 million for 2026-27 is roughly the ceiling they can give him without pushing above the luxury tax or needing to move other players to stay under. The Celtics may also want to preserve flexibility for additional signings or trade opportunities to build out the roster.
Those limitations could make it difficult for both sides to find a new number, leaving the option of picking it up as the likelier outcome. But that wouldn’t be a bad result. If they exercise the option, the Celtics could extend him starting July 6 through June 30, 2027, for up to any dollar amount.
