The Celtics have survived the Luka Garza minutes. That’s the good news.

The bad news? Survival isn’t the same as sustainability, especially when the calendar flips to April.

Garza has had his moments since re-entering the rotation, but the limitations are becoming clearer by the game (see Monday night vs. Detroit). He struggles defending in space, offers little rim deterrence, and can be hunted relentlessly by playoff-level offenses.

On a team with championship aspirations, those minutes become pressure points, not stopgaps.

Boston doesn’t need to panic. They don’t need to blow up a roster that’s exceeded expectations. But they do need to acknowledge that the current center rotation - Garza, Neemias Queta, and small-ball alternatives - has a ceiling.

With the trade deadline approaching, here are three big men the Celtics should be targeting:

If the Celtics want the cleanest, most obvious solution, it’s Ivica Zubac.

Zubac does everything Boston currently lacks at the five. He rebounds at an elite level, protects the paint without fouling, and doesn’t require touches to be effective. He’s plug-and-play in the truest sense - something Celtics lineups haven’t had since prime Al Horford or Kristaps-Porzingis-when-healthy.

Zubac checks every box: contract value, role clarity, defensive impact. He’s not flashy, but he stabilizes the floor instantly.

The problem? Availability.

The Clippers have cooled on the idea of moving him as their season has turned around, and any deal would likely require real assets - young players, picks, or both.

That’s where Brad Stevens has to be careful. Zubac helps, but overpaying for a non-star center during a gap-year success story would be a mistake.

If the Clippers soften, you make the call. If not, patience is still the right move.

This is the most emotionally charged option, and maybe the most realistic.

Robert Williams doesn’t need to be reintroduced in Boston.

When healthy, he’s still one of the best defensive playmakers at the center position. He changes shot profiles, erases mistakes, and fits seamlessly into the Celtics’ defensive identity.

The appeal here isn’t nostalgia. It’s cost.

Williams is on an expiring deal. Portland is stocked with young centers. And unlike Zubac, acquiring him wouldn’t require gutting the asset chest. In a limited role behind Queta or in matchup-specific playoff minutes, Williams could upgrade the weakest part of Boston’s rotation without forcing a structural overhaul.

The risk is obvious. Injuries have defined his last two seasons.

But compared to Garza minutes in a postseason setting, the upside is worth the gamble.

This is the kind of calculated bet Stevens has made before - one that raises the ceiling without wrecking flexibility.

For some, Jaren Jackson Jr. is the dream scenario.

He’s young. He’s elite defensively. He fits modern playoff basketball. And if Boston truly wants to re-enter the championship inner circle sooner rather than later, he’s the type of swing that redefines the roster.

But dreams come with consequences.

Jackson’s contract is massive. His durability is a concern. His rebounding limitations would still require smart lineup construction. And any deal would push Boston back toward the second apron, stripping away the very flexibility they’ve worked to regain.

This is not a Garza fix. This is a franchise-defining decision.

Right now, this feels more like due diligence than inevitability - a temperature check rather than a countdown. And that’s fine.

The Celtics don’t need to force this move unless they’re convinced Jackson is the final piece, not just an upgrade.

Interest doesn’t equal urgency.

The bottom line is simple:

Garza is a useful depth piece. He’s not a playoff answer.

Boston has options - from safe, to familiar, to seismic.

The right move depends on price, patience, and how aggressively Stevens believes this season can be pushed forward.

But doing nothing comes with its own cost.

And the Garza minutes are already telling that story.

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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.