Mitchell Robinson is officially a Celtic, and now we know what number he’ll be wearing. The big man grabbed No. 23, a jersey that’s got some history in Boston — and probably not the kind of history Celtics fans want to revisit. But Robinson isn’t here for the ghosts of the past. He’s here to bang around in the paint and grab offensive boards, two things the Celtics desperately needed last season.
The signing came in the same week Boston traded Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia — a deal that brought back Paul George and a pile of draft picks. That move dominated the headlines, but Robinson’s addition might end up being just as important. The Celtics lacked physicality up front all last year. They tried to fix it midseason by trading for Nikola Vucevic, but that experiment didn’t produce much. So they went another direction in free agency, landing a center who just won a ring with the Knicks.
What Robinson brings to Boston
Robinson is a rim protector. He’s an elite offensive rebounder. He’ll catch lobs and finish around the basket. He’ll also send shivers down the spine of any Celtics coach who watches him at the free-throw line, where he’s historically been one of the worst shooters in NBA history. But you take the good with the bad. Boston’s front office clearly decided the good was worth it.
The Celtics also re-signed Neemias Queta to an extension, giving them some depth behind Robinson and Kristaps Porzingis. That’s a solid frontcourt rotation on paper, assuming everyone stays healthy — and that’s not a small assumption with this group.
Knicks fans are not happy
A lot of Knicks fans were upset when Robinson chose to sign with their archrival. But New York basically handed him the door. Owner James Dolan refused to go into the luxury tax, and Robinson walked. You can’t blame a player for taking a better offer, especially when it comes from a team that just made the Finals. Robinson will play a similar role in Boston that he did in New York: clean up the glass, bully people in the paint, and hope nobody sends him to the stripe in a close game.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Celtics adjust their style at all with Robinson in the mix. They’ve been a perimeter-heavy team for years. Now they have a traditional big who can punish teams on the interior. Maybe they lean into a more downhill, physical approach. Or maybe they just use him as a specialist off the bench. Either way, he gives them an option they didn’t have last season.
The 2026-27 schedule hasn’t been released yet, but mark your calendars for when Robinson goes back to New York. That game is going to have some juice.
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