Mitchell Robinson Won A Championship With The Knicks And Is Now Leaving For The Celtics On A Three-Year $47.4 Million Deal

Mitchell Robinson spent eight seasons as the longest-tenured member of the New York Knicks, survived years of injury, averaged 4.2 offensive rebounds per game this season, second in the NBA, played through a broken right pinky finger between the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, and helped the Knicks win their first championship since 1973.

And then he signed with the Boston Celtics.

Robinson agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million deal with a player option in the third season, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday.

He is 28 years old, finally healthy and adding rim protection and offensive rebounding to a Celtics team that also added Paul George in the Jaylen Brown trade and signed Mike Conley to extend his career into a 20th season.

Robinson played just 60 games this season, the most he has played since 2022-23, a milestone worth noting given the foot, hand and ankle injuries that have trailed him across his career.

When healthy he is one of the most disruptive interior players in the league, a back-to-the-basket center who blocks shots, creates second chances and does not require the ball to impact the game.

The Celtics are replacing what Al Horford gave them at his best with a younger, longer, more explosive version of the same defensive archetype.

For Knicks fans, watching Robinson in green is going to sting in the specific way that losing homegrown contributors who won championships with you always stings.

Miles McBride is the only player originally drafted by New York who was a heavy contributor to the title run who is still a Knick.

Robinson joins the team that has been the Knicks' most consistent nemesis for decades.

He showed up to his introductory media availability in Boston in his own truck.