Freshly-crowned NBA champion Mitchell Robinson is leaving the New York Knicks just weeks after their historic victory.
The free agent is said to be leaving New York for the Knicks’ bitter rival, the Boston Celtics, on a multi-year deal.
The center has agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million deal to sign with the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania. The deal is said to include a player option in the third season.
The shock exit comes just weeks after the Knicks clinched their first NBA Championship in 53 years against the San Antonio Spurs.
The 28-year-old was the longest-tenured Knick on New York’s championship roster that defeated Victor Wembanyama and co, spending eight years with the team.
Furthermore, only he and Miles McBride were the two rotation players to have been originally drafted by the Knicks.
Freshly-crowned NBA champion Mitchell Robinson is leaving the New York Knicks
The shock exit comes just weeks after the Knicks clinched their first Championship in 53 years
The 28-year-old was the longest-tenured Knick on New York’s championship roster
He was selected by New York in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft with the 36th overall pick.
Robinson has gone on to be a key contributor for the Knicks, particularly during their championship run this past season.
Battling back from a broken right pinky finger he suffered between the Eastern Conference finals and NBA Finals, Robinson averaged 4.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes in the postseason.
He played 60 games in the 2025 regular season – the most he has played since the 2022-23 season due to injuries.
In his eight seasons with the Knicks, Robinson averaged 7.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in just under 24 minutes a game.
However, Knicks owner James Dolan has made it clear that he intends the team to stay under the second apron.
The Knicks already secured two of their top three free agents in Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet to multiyear deals.
That left the organization roughly $9 million under the second apron and still needing to sign three players heading into free agency, which began on Tuesday.
