The Celtics signed two free agents who differ significantly in their on-court impact heading into the 2026-27 season.
The first signing is Mike Conley of the Timberwolves, and the latter is reigning champ Mitchell Robinson.
While it’s unlikely Conley will push the needle for the Cs this season, Robinson has a proven track record as a premier rebounder. Tatum also excels alongside bigs who are adept at the pick-and-roll.
I won’t be mentioning Uncle Mike much in this article – he’s 40 years old in what will most likely be a retirement tour in a mentorship role, but there’s a shot he could play spot minutes. He’s still a reliable passer and 3-point shooter, but given his advanced age and below-average stature, he will be a liability defensively. The Grizzlies’ franchise leader in points is a welcome addition to teach our young guards skills they otherwise would not have known.
Mitchell Robinson Signing // 3 years, $47.4 million
Now for the major signing and the one that deserves more attention, Mitchell Robinson.
Free agent center Mitchell Robinson has agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million deal to sign with the Boston Celtics, with a player option in third season, sources tell ESPN. Robinson departs the Knicks after serving a key role on the historic championship team. pic.twitter.com/tl3R6nlU1m
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
Money-wise, I am impartial to the annual earnings for the 7-footer. 14 million feels like a lot for someone with such a serious injury. Former Celtic Robert Williams III received a similar deal from Portland, so in that aspect, it makes sense. Mitch is a perplexing player – he’s an analytical darling yet is incapable of making free throws and rarely plays more than 20 minutes a night. Almost every team will abuse the “Hack-a-Mitch” strategy to steal offensive possessions from the Celtics, but on the flip side, he’s at least a top 3 rebounder in the league.
My immediate reaction was one of question; another traditional center?
Shouldn’t the Celtics double down on the Mazzulla ball approach and sign a stretch 5 or even one with advanced footwork? I was adamant that the Celtics should try to get John Collins from the Clippers because of this, despite his lackluster defense. And then, like a bell curve, I reached the other side. Yes. Another traditional center. The Celtics make the most 3s per game but also miss the most. Now, with the Queta signing, which I loved, you have two absolute hounds under the backboard who are both elite at getting the ball back to the perimeter.
Analytics Tell The Story
According to stats aggregated by the NBA and Kalshi, Mitch is the most efficient pick-and-roll big since 2016, overshadowing names like Jalen Duren, Rudy Gobert, and former Tatum roller Luke Kornet. The Kornet-Tatum PnR was infamously one of the best, if not the best, during Luke’s final season in green, so why not amplify that attack with Robinson? I love Brad’s thought process on this.
Back to rebounding, Mitchell Robinson averaged close to 9 rebounds last season but astonishingly recorded equal numbers of defensive and offensive rebounds, which is almost unheard of. That’s a pretty solid number for 20 minutes a night, which comes out to 16.2 total and 7.5 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes. Mind you, he will never play 36 minutes, but that proportion just puts into perspective how dominant he has been on the glass in the sparse minutes he sees the court.
Another stat that feels unsung is that, despite the massive flaw in his game, free throws being the worst *of all time* and not a great shooter overall, Robinson still fell into the 75th percentile in offensive estimated plus minus. That goes to show how effective Robinson is in the roll actions as well as on the boards. Is that not insane? If you just read the statistics, Robinson looks like Godzilla for 20 minutes a night.
As much as it was fun to laugh at his free-throw misadventures as a Celtics fan hatewatching the Knicks, you can’t deny that Robinson is an incredible get by the front office and a seamless fit next to Jayson Tatum. It’s also endearing how he has already embraced his new city, painting his famous jacked-up truck a bright green, shown on his Instagram with that catchy “on a train back to Boston” song. The Celtics now have an elite big-man rotation in Queta and Robinson, as well as a developmental newcomer in Cenac Jr. in the wings (Cenac and Queta double-big lineups in the future have me excited).
Overall, the Celtics did just enough in free agency, supplementing the existing pieces while now being capped at the first apron.
