Mitchell Robinson is going to Boston on a reported three-year, $47.4 million deal. The Knicks are going to spend the next season explaining how they can replace the center who helped them win a championship.
Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 60 regular-season games, according to his Basketball-Reference page. Those numbers do not look like a star contract. They do describe a huge defensive specialist who changed possessions around the rim.
This is the part Boston is buying. The Celtics needed size, and they got a center who already knows how to play in big games. The Knicks now have to find the same rebounds, screens, and second chances somewhere else.
Knicks lost more than a backup center
Robinson was not a perfect player. The free throws were a problem, the availability was never guaranteed, and his offensive role was limited. The Knicks still knew how to use him when the game got physical.
Mitchell Robinson celebrating during the Knicks championship parade
Jun 18, 2026; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson celebrates during the championship parade. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images. Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect.
His playoff role showed it. Robinson averaged 4.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes during the title run, but those minutes were usually built around defense and rebounding. He could change a game without calling a play for himself.
The replacement has to be more than a name on a depth chart. New York needs a center who can survive against bigger teams, keep Towns from doing all the dirty work, and give the second unit a real defensive base.
The Boston part makes this sting more
The Celtics did not sign Robinson because the Knicks made a mistake by drafting him. They signed him because he fits what they need right now. That makes the loss harder to wave away.
The second-apron mandate shaped the choice, and the choice may be defensible. Knicks fans can still be annoyed. They watched Robinson help deliver the franchise’s first title in decades, then watched a rival pay him when New York could not.
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