According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Mitchell Robinson has signed a three-year, $47.4 million deal with the Boston Celtics, becoming the first Knicks player to leave New York following the 2026 NBA championships in free agency. Robinson will replace the Celtics big man Nikola Vučević, who signed a one-year deal with the Orlando Magic on Wednesday morning.
Boston fills a much-needed role, while New York loses a crucial bench piece heading into their title defense.
Boston Celtics Break Up Champs, Land Mitchell Robinson On Three-Year, $47.4 Million Contract
Robinson was the longest-tenured Knick entering last season. New York fans witnessed an insane amount of growth in the 28-year-old’s game, coming into the league as just a shot-blocker, to becoming a real threat under the rim and one of the best rebounders in the NBA. With the Knicks last season, Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks while finishing eighth for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Unfortunately, the writing was on the wall for New York. After bringing back Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado and signing Mohamed Diawara, the money was beginning to tighten. New York has several other free agents, like Jordan Clarkson, who may also need to find a new home with the Knicks attempting to stay under the second apron this season.
From a Knick perspective, club has a ton of appreciation & respect for Mitchell Robinson as he departs for Boston, per source familiar with matter. Robinson’s exit is seen a casualty of the situation re: NYK holding team salary under 2nd apron. Robinson, a 2nd-round pick eight…
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 1, 2026
For Boston, they pick up a great inside presence in Robinson. While he’s not known for his scoring, he will add yet another layer to their elite defensive unit. After Vučević failed to impress during his short stint with the team, the Celtics looked into other options. They landed on Robinson, who aligned with General Manager Brad Stevens’ goals in free agency. This is what Stevens had to say about team needs during his end-of-season press conference:
“I think one of the things that we’ve got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim. I think we do need to add to our team to do that.”
Robinson will be a perfect fit with the Celtics. His lob-threat potential will provide Boston playmakers with a lob-threat who can guard both inside and perimeter players. Robinson’s versatility is exactly what the Celtics need to remain a top contender in the wide-open Eastern Conference.
Brenden Willsch, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
