Mitchell Robinson Reportedly Lands Celtics Contract, Leaves Knicks amid Jalyen Brown Trade Rumors

Mitchell Robinson is on the move for the first time in his NBA career.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Robinson is leaving the New York Knicks to sign a three-year, $47.4 million contract with the Boston Celtics. The third year will be a player option.

The move comes just weeks after Robinson helped the Knicks win their first NBA title in 53 years.

Robinson played for the Knicks in each of his first eight seasons in the league, although he was included in trade rumors sporadically before finding his footing.

At this point, the biggest concern with Robinson is in the durability department.

The 2018 second-round draft pick has played more than 66 games in a season just once in his career. He appeared in 59 games in 2022-23 and then played just 31 games in 2023-24 as he dealt with ankle concerns that continued when he played just one game in the team's second-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Still, he is a defensive anchor who can also control the glass when healthy, as he showed while helping lead the Knicks to the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals and the 2026 championship.

Robinson averaged 4.7 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 60.8 percent from the field during the 2025 playoffs. He put up those numbers while averaging just 20.6 minutes per game, indicating that a larger role could make him a double-double threat every time he steps on the court.

He followed with 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game in 2025-26 before continuing to play that important secondary role as the team won a championship.

In Boston, Robinson figures to slot in immediately as Joe Mazzulla's starting center ahead of Neemias Queta while the front office weighs whether or not to overhaul its perimeter pairing and trade Jaylen Brown.