Mitchell Robinson is the Boston Celtics‘ key free agency addition this summer. Brad Stevens tied the 7-foot rebounding machine down to a three-year $47.3 million deal using the full non-taxpayer mid-level-exception.
Robinson joins the Celtics fresh off helping the New York Knicks secure a championship last season. He will now battle it out with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza for minutes within Joe Mazzulla’s rotation.
During a recent appearance on the “Shump Street Podcast,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shared his thoughts on how Robinson will become an important part of Boston’s rotation moving forward.
“Mitch’s ability to get 50-50 balls, between him and Josh Hart, there weren’t 50-50 balls. They were like 60-40 balls. So you could say that the Knicks could have gotten it half the time. When those guys were there, they would get it two out of three. Over the course of a game or a playoff series, that’s so many extra possessions.”
Windhorst continued.
“I know the Celtics valued that because we’ve seen bad free-throw shooters get fouled and put to the line before, but it was like at the top of the game plan for the Celtics to hack Mitch. Their strategy was like, no matter what, we’ve got to get Mitch out of the game; he is a wrecking ball to our game plan, and that’s why they obviously prioritized getting him in the free agency”
Robinson joins the Celtics at a time when Neemias Queta has just signed a multi-year contract extension. It will be fun watching those two bigs battle it out for a starting spot.
Celtics Get High Grade For Queta Extension
In a recent article from ESPN’s Zach Kram, which grades each team’s offseason moves, the Celtics received an A- grade for extending Queta ahead of the new season.
“xRAPM ranks Queta in the 96th percentile of players in per-possession impact. Estimated plus-minus ranks him in the 95th percentile,” Kram wrote. “That’s pretty good for a former two-way player who had never reached 1,000 minutes in a season before 2025-26.”
Kram continued.
“Especially given other, more expensive contracts handed out to centers this offseason, Queta’s new deal looks like a bargain for Boston, if his performance last season is any indication of the half-decade to come.”
Queta was one of the NBA’s breakout stars last season. However, Celtics fans will be hoping he learned some tough lessons following his struggles in the postseason.
Celtics’ Luka Garza Still Deserves Minutes, Too
Despite Robinson’s addition, Boston should try to find consistent minutes for Luka Garza. Last season, Garza played in 69 games, averaging 8.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1 assist per night, shooting 43.3% from deep on 1.8 attempts per game.
Furthermore, Garza was solid on the offensive glass, pulling down 2.3 offenisve boards per night. If Mazzulla needs additional shooting at times, putting Garza (who is also an exceptional screener) into the rotation could be a smart move.
Boston now has three solid bigs to lean on throughout the upcoming season. Hopefully, the coaching staff figures out how to ensure everyone gets the minutes they deserve.
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