The Boston Celtics signed Mitchell Robinson to a three-year, $47.3 million contract to ensure they have 48 minutes of quality center play every night. There have been three NBA champions under the current collective bargaining agreement that introduced the second apron. All three have featured a strong center combination that ate up the entire 48. From Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford on the 2024 Celtics to Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns last season, having those quality minutes at the five has been massive for all three champions.
Boston stole Robinson from the rival Knicks and got him at a relative bargain. The NBA’s center market went wild this summer. Jock Landale got $14.1 million to back up in Atlanta. John Collins got $17 million per year from the Pistons. The Lakers gave up two first-round picks and two swaps to land Walker Kessler and had to pay $129.4 million. Getting Mitch Rob for just over $15 million per year was a relative bargain.
Celtics fans are already excited about Robinson’s offensive rebounding, but there is more to his game. He is a strong rim protector and finisher who just played a key role in New York winning the title. The Celtics want to win, and Mitch Rob unquestionably makes them more competitive.
Mitchell Robinson gives Celtics quality center play for all 48 minutes
Neemias Queta broke out last season. The seven-footer took over the starting role and showed he is a strong rebounder, rim protector, and two-way force. Queta finished fifth in the entire NBA in win shares per 48 minutes, but Luka Garza and Nikola Vucevic were not the answers behind him. Queta was outstanding in 25 minutes per game, but the Celtics need someone to fill the other 23.
Mitch Rob averaged just 19.6 last season, but the Knicks had Karl-Anthony Towns. Robinson has proven he can play 25 a night when his team needs it. Joe Mazzulla can ride the hot hand at the five or split the minutes evenly. Robinson also produces elite advanced metrics and can impact the game on both ends. This is a strong pairing that gives Boston something they’ve been lacking since the title season.
The Celtics had Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford in 2025, but KP was limited to just 42 regular-season games. They had to rely on Luke Kornet and Queta to fill in, but Horford’s decline coupled with the inconsistent nature of who was getting the minutes made this a less than ideal grouping.
Boston is back to having the center position locked down after landing Robinson. Fans should be excited about what the duo can do. The Celtics traded Jaylen Brown and are all-in on building around Jayson Tatum moving forward. The experts may think Boston will take a step back, but having 48 minutes of elite center play should help Joe Mazzulla and company exceed expectations again.
The Boston Celtics stole Mitchell Robinson from the rival New York Knicks and are back to having two quality, starting-caliber centers to secure that position. The last three NBA champions have all had depth in the middle, which made this move an absolute home run for the franchise.
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