Neemias Queta is currently working on a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics but he’s proving his value and could earn a promotion by the Celtics upgrading his two-way contract into a standard NBA deal.

The Celtics have used Queta in nine games but he’s been with Boston for 17 games this season including the last five games that saw a four-game road trip. Over the last five games, Queta has totaled 32-points and 34-rebounds and the first two double-doubles of his career.

Queta is averaging 5.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 15 minutes per game off the bench as he has seemingly leaped Luke Kornet in the rotation and the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas proved that when Queta played seven minutes and Kornet didn’t play at all.

The emergence of Queta creates what will be the biggest debate ahead of the trade deadline as Kornet is on a partially guaranteed deal that becomes fully guaranteed on Jan. 10. It’s hard to see Boston hold both Kornet and Queta on the 15-man roster.

Kornet, however, does have his own value in different ways than Queta. There’s evidence of Kornet maneuvering better defensively and in the right situation he can play above the rim in a way Boston has been accustomed to from their big men.

Queta could potentially be the x-factor that the Celtics will need sometime down the road and in the playoffs. Head coach Joe Mazzulla has said multiple times that Kristaps Porzingis brings a curveball to the team, but I think it’s fair to say that Queta is also a curveball for this team.

Over the last five games that Queta has played at least 10 minutes, he’s a plus-minus of +48 in that span, which includes four road games and I think that’s worth mentioning. Queta impacts games overall and the Celtics need that for this team.

I’m unsure if the Celtics need to cut Kornet in order to upgrade Queta to the active roster but it would be ideal to have the adequate depth behind Porzingis and having both of them can assure that.

If Boston feels the need to clean up their roster a bit, perhaps it’ll be Lamar Stevens or Oshae Brissett that Boston might not feel they need moving forward with this season.

One last thing on Queta, he impacts the Celtics in a positive way as some of the on-off numbers will suggest.

The Celtics should convert Queta’s two-way deal into a standard contract.

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Photo Credit: Brian Babineau, NBAE Getty Images