Garza is the odd man out in Boston's new frontcourt

Mitchell Robinson arrived on a three-year deal this summer, Neemias Queta locked in a four-year extension, and suddenly Luka Garza — who was a reliable presence off the bench last season — is looking at a depth chart that doesn't have obvious room for him. Robinson and Queta are committed money. Garza is not.

Last season Garza gave Boston useful minutes: efficient around the basket, solid enough on the glass for a backup center. At 15-and-a-half minutes a game across 77 appearances, he was a workable third option up front. That role existed because the frontcourt behind Al Horford was thin. The frontcourt behind Robinson and Queta is not thin anymore.

My read is that Garza's best argument for a roster spot is durability insurance. Robinson has had injury trouble throughout his career, and if that history repeats, Boston will want a capable body who knows the system. But "insurance" is a fragile case to make when rosters tighten. Training camp will tell the story quickly.