Celtics Free Agent Signee’s Jersey Number Will Catch Kristaps Porzingis’ Attention

The Boston Celtics have been busy this offseason, with the majority of their work seeing them shed talent in an effort to save money against the salary cap. One guy they did bring to town, though, was former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Josh Minott.

A rangy wing, Minott was selected in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, and while he’s spent time with the Timberwolves over the past three seasons, he struggled to carve out a consistent role with the team. In 46 games last season, Minott averaged 2.6 points, one rebound and 0.4 assists per game on 48.9% shooting from the field.

With the Celtics, Minott figures to have more of an opportunity to realize his potential, especially when considering who the team has moved on from this offseason. One guy who is no longer in town is center Kristaps Porzingis, who got traded to the Atlanta Hawks back in June.

Porzingis’ departure has left a massive void in the frontcourt for Boston, but it’s also freed up the No. 8 jersey, which was his number during his two seasons with the C’s. It won’t be vacant for long, though, because it sounds like that is the number Minott is going to wear for the Celtics moving forward.

“Josh Minott will wear No. 8 for the Celtics. Number last worn by Kristaps Porzingis in 2025,” Etienne Catalan shared in a post on X.

This doesn’t appear to be any sort of dig at Porzingis, as Minott previously wore the number eight during his time with the Timberwolves. While Porzingis repped the number six early in his career, he will be sticking with eight as he begins his tenure with the Hawks.

Porzingis did a lot of great things while wearing the No. 8 jersey with the Celtics. Now, Minott will be looking to follow in his footsteps, with the hope being that he can earn consistent minutes in Boston’s frontcourt next season.