The Boston Celtics swooped in and snagged Mitchell Robinson away from the Knicks in free agency, agreeing to sign him to a three-year, $47.4 million deal. There is a lot to like about it, from the huge boost it gives the team's frontcourt to the effect it has already made on New York. It could work out beautifully, but only if the answer to this question is 'yes.'
Can he stay healthy?
He played 60 regular-season games in 2025-26, the most since 2021-22, averaging 19.6 minutes, the majority of which came off the bench. That was a win for the Knicks, but it happened that way because they managed Robinson's minutes throughout the year, hoping he'd be as healthy as possible by the playoffs (though he did break his pinkie before the NBA Finals).
It helped, of course, that New York had Karl-Anthony Towns starting at center, which had been the case since the Knicks traded for him in 2024. Robinson will presumably return to being a starter with the Celtics, but that doesn't (and shouldn't) mean he will be averaging 25+ minutes per night. Boston will have to manage his minutes, and even then, there is cause for concern.
Celtics need Mitchell Robinson to stay healthy
Robinson's value is immeasurable. He won't help space the floor for Boston as a three-point threat, and he will be lucky to hit half of his free-throw attempts, but he will generate more possessions for the Celtics with his offensive rebounding. His rim protection will be a big plus, too. He's your traditional rim-running center.
The Celtics are better for having Robinson, but only if he can stay on the floor. You know that Brad Stevens already thought this through, knowing that Boston has Neemias Queta and Luke Garza to take some of the workload off their new center.
They can do what they can to put Robinson in a position to make it through the regular season and into the playoffs without dealing with a major injury setback, but, of course, his health won't fully be in their control. He's injury-prone, playing just 17 games in 2024-25, and the season before, he played only 31 games because of a nagging ankle injury that required two procedures.
It'd be unreasonable to expect Robinson to play a minimum of 65 games next season, just like you can't expect him to become even a semi-decent free-throw shooter. Still, this signing could work in Boston's favor, but it will require equal parts careful preparation and luck (maybe a little more of the latter).
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