On Wednesday morning, the Boston Celtics signed New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson to a three-year, $47.4 million contract seemingly out of the blue. There were no major reports linking Boston to the 2026 NBA champion, yet the Celtics still managed to swipe the 7-footer away from their hated rivals in free agency. The connection between Robinson and the C’s isn’t as expected as one might think though, especially given recent comments from Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.
In May of 2025, the Celtics and Knicks squared off in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. After the Knicks took a surprising 2-0 lead, Mazzulla didn’t emphasize the importance of Knicks star Jalen Brunson or the timely shooting of forward Josh Hart. Instead, he fielded a question about Robinson — New York’s backup center — and explained his impact on the series.
Joe Mazzulla on Mitchell Robinson (from 2025) feels relevant:
“He’s good on both ends of the floor. He’s able to play by himself. He’s able to play double-big…Then on the defensive end, his ability to protect the rim, his ability to get extra possessions. His screening…He’s…
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) July 1, 2026
“He’s good on both ends of the floor,” Mazzulla praised following Game 2. “He’s able to play by himself. He’s able to play double-big with (Karl-Anthony) Towns. Then on the defensive end, his ability to protect the rim, his ability to get extra possessions…He’s a huge factor to what they do and we’ve got to find ways to negate that.”
Mazzulla and the Celtics feared Robinson’s influence so much that they intentionally fouled him throughout the series to put a bad free-throw shooter on the line and, more importantly, force the Knicks to take him out of the game.
The results of that strategy varied, but the Knicks beat the Celtics in six games and won it all the following season by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
While Robinson didn’t win the 2026 NBA Finals for the Knicks per se, there’s no questioning that his defensive presence and rebounding helped them along the way to a title. The Celtics saw those contributions and decided that Robinson could provide them with some much-needed depth at the five spot.
Brad Stevens on the NBA likely improving next year and the changes that must be made:
“This is where the honest assessment part has got to come in…We’ve been to six ECF, couple finals in the last few years …we’ve won one. And when you get beaten the first round, you’re not… pic.twitter.com/0Cba9bB98s
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) May 6, 2026
And for further evidence of the Celtics’ ongoing interest in the 28-year-old, listen to Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens’ exit interview in May:
“We have to do our best to generate the best possible look we can,” Stevens said of attacking the rim more. “I think we all would love dunks. I would love dunks.”
As it stands, Robinson is one of the best lob threats in the league. If Boston wants more dunks and pressure around the rim, acquiring Robinson — who boasts an impressive wingspan and vertical — is a great start.
So, although the Celtics rarely telegraph their interest in a player (unless it’s a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo), that doesn’t mean they leave zero clues as to who they hope to sign. Since they’re around $5 million under the first apron and have a bit of financial flexibility, adding Robinson probably won’t be their final move of the offseason.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: How Joe Mazzulla may have added to Boston Celtics interest in Mitchell Robinson
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