Remember when Mitchell Robinson terrorized the Boston Celtics in the 2025 playoffs? Remember what a force he was on defense? The city of New York sure does.
You know what was cool? When Mitchell Robinson guarded all five Celtics on a possession in a closeout playoff game. pic.twitter.com/R6qEfBHFH8
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) June 30, 2026
Robinson was everywhere in that series. In his 124 minutes, the New York Knicks outscored Boston by 18.1 points per 100 possessions and had an offensive rebounding rate of 40.2%. The Celtics surely remember this, but not nearly as fondly.
Boston didn't get a rematch with New York this season, as it blew a 3-1 lead against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. If the Celtics face the reigning champs in next year's playoffs, though, Robinson will be on their side. The free agent has agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million contract with Boston, including a player option in Year 3, per ESPN.
What the Celtics are getting
For the Celtics, this is a home-run signing. At his best, Robinson is a genuine game-changer. A 7-footer with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, he is a literally massive deterrent in the paint and will give Boston the vertical spacing it hasn't had since the departure of Robert Williams III three years ago. Aside from Steven Adams, no one on the planet is a bigger difference-maker on the offensive glass.
Is there risk here? Sure: Robinson has had multiple ankle surgeries, and, in the two seasons that preceded the Knicks' title run, played a total of 48 regular-season games. He hasn't played in both sides of a back-to-back since the 2023-24 season, and, even though he's started 19 games since then, he's cleared the 30-minute mark just twice. One cannot assume that, when it's needed most, he will be available and have the mobility that he showed in that 2025 series.
Without the durability concerns, though, there's no chance the Celtics could have nabbed Robinson with the mid-level exception. If they have to cap his minutes and/or hold him out of back-to-backs, they'll accept that, just like they'll accept his awful free-throw shooting. As presently constructed, they don't need that many minutes out of him during the regular season, anyway. They just won 56 games with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza playing the lion's share of the minutes at the 5 spot, and both are still under contract.
After Joel Embiid bullied Boston for three straight games and ended its previously magical season, Brad Stevens' front office knew it had to beef up its frontline for the playoffs. It has done that as elegantly as possible, without trading away any players or picks. And while other big men could have theoretically helped the Celtics gain some ground on New York, Robinson is the only one whose signing directly weakens the team they're chasing. Regardless of what happens with Jaylen Brown, they should feel good about this.
What the Knicks are losing
The Knicks now have to worry about Robinson harassing Karl-Anthony Towns (or cheating off Josh Hart) and generating extra possessions for Boston in a potential playoff series. They also have a hole at backup 5, and, given that owner James Dolan does not want the payroll to exceed the second apron, limited resources to fill it. Earlier on Wednesday, Ariel Hukporti agreed to a deal with the Sixers, per ESPN.
According to The Stein Line, New York sees Kevon Looney as a potential replacement on a minimum contract. He is a free agent, and he was with the Golden State Warriors for all of Mike Brown's tenure there. Andre Drummond, Jaxson Hayes and Nick Richards are still available, too.
If the Knicks are aiming higher, then they'll need to make a trade. Would the Charlotte Hornets, who have an abundance of young bigs, be willing to part with Moussa Diabaté? Would the New Orleans Pelicans move Yves Missi? Maybe there's a deal to be done if New York is willing to part with Deuce McBride or the little draft capital it has left. (It can trade its 2033 first-round pick and can swap its 2030 and 2032 picks.)
For the Knicks, this stings not just because they drafted Robinson in the second round in 2018 and was by far their longest-tenured player. (Nobody else was there for the first year of the Tom Thibodeau era, let alone the relatively brief David Fizdale era and the extremely brief Mike Miller era.) It stings not just because Robinson played a significant role in ending their 53-year title drought and rebounded a missed free throw in crunch time in the clincher. It stings because it was avoidable.
If Dolan were simply willing to go into the second apron, then New York could have offered Robinson the exact same contract he got from Boston. Instead, Dolan's mandate created an opportunity for the Celtics to address their most pressing weakness and meaningfully improve their chances of avenging their 2025 loss. Boston had to pounce on it.
