Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- One Eastern Conference team addressed a critical roster weakness with a high-impact move this week.
- The signing gives the franchise a defensive anchor and interior presence they lacked during their recent playoff exit.
- How the player fits into the team's spacing-focused system and manages his injury history will test the coaching staff's flexibility.
Jaylen Brown drama aside, the No. 1 item on the Boston Celtics' offseason to-do list was finding a way to improve their center situation. And boy, did Brad Stevens ever do so with a bang: Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Boston is signing former New York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson to a three-year, $47.4 million deal (with a player option in the year three).
As the center market picked up serious steam — Robert Williams III staying in Portland, Isaiah Hartenstein staying in Oklahoma City, Walker Kessler traded to the Lakers — Boston needed to strike quickly. Robinson was the best option remaining at the position, and he'll provide much more force as a rim protector and rebounder than anything the Celtics had at their disposal this past season. If nothing else, it's hard to imagine him being bullied in the post by Joel Embiid in the way that Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Co. were in Boston's first-round playoff loss to the Sixers.
But where does it leave the rest of Boston's offseason? Let's break down the Celtics' new-look depth chart to see where this team now stands, and what work is left to be done.
Celtics projected starting lineup and depth chart after Mitchell Robinson signing
Player | Position | Bench |
|---|---|---|
Derrick White | PG | Mike Conley |
Jaylen Brown | SG | Payton Pritchard |
Sam Hauser | SF | Baylor Scheierman |
Jayson Tatum | PF | Jordan Walsh |
Mitchell Robinson | C | Neemias Queta |
It's a testament to Boston's depth that this isn't even an exhaustive list of every potential rotation player. Neither Garza nor Hugo Gonzalez are named above, not to mention 2026 first-round pick Chris Cenac Jr. (though he remains a bit of a project). This is still one of the deepest and most skilled teams in the Eastern Conference, and the Robinson/Queta tandem should stabilize the center spot and give the Celtics some necessary backbone.
Of course, "should" is doing a bit of work there. Robinson is a tremendously impactful player as a defender (both at the rim and switching onto smaller wings and guards) and a rebounder at both ends. He also has a lengthy injury history; the Knicks refused to play him on back-to-backs this past season in an effort to keep him fresh for the playoffs. And he was played off the floor at times in May and June due to his abysmal foul shooting.
Nearly $16 million a year is a not-insignificant amount given the risks involved here. And it's worth wondering how a non-shooter will fit into a Celtics system that prioritizes spacing above all else and doesn't really rely on the pick and rolls that allow Robinson to feast as a lob threat. Still, sometimes you have to simply play the cards you've been dealt, and given the shape of the center market, betting on Robinson makes a lot of sense. If anyone can make things work on offense while reaping the rewards on defense, it's Joe Mazzulla.
It's unclear whether a Brown trade is still on the table, and how those talks might be impacted by this signing. As things stand, though, there's no reason why the Celtics can't once again be back at or near the top of the East, with Jayson Tatum a year removed from his Achilles injury and far sturdier interior defense with Robinson in the fold.
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