For years now, the word on the street has been that Mitchell Robinson covets a much bigger role within a team's scheme and wants the opportunity to start. Considering they already have star center Karl-Anthony Towns in tow, such a goal was almost certainly never going to be achieved with the New York Knicks.
Knowing this to be the case, the big man opted to bolt from the Big Apple in this summer's free agency for the center-hungry Celtics on a three-year, $47.4 million deal.
This lofty payday, coupled with the departure of veteran star Nikola Vucevic, suggested he could realistically end up taking over the primary pivot spot in the club's rotation right from the jump.
Of course, based on Boston's decision to re-up with starter Neemias Queta early Friday morning, it seems they may have other plans in mind.
Celtics seemingly adopt same Mitchell Robinson philosophy as Knicks
Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Celtics and Queta agreed to a new four-year, $56 million extension, which will kick in after the 2026-27 season, thus keeping him under Beantown control through 2031.
Following his breakout season with Boston last year, in which he posted 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 75 starts, this decision by the franchise to re-up with the 7-footer shouldn't come as all that great of a surprise.
Of course, to the wishful-thinking Robinson, it may be viewed as a bit of a letdown, as it suggests that the Celtics don't fully trust that the 28-year-old can be their focal-point center, a philosophy the Knicks had accepted years ago.
The fact of the matter is that Mitch is undeniably an elite-level big man talent when healthy. Throughout his eight seasons in the association, he's established himself as one of the game's most lethal paint dwellers thanks to both his shot-swatting and league-best offensive rebounding abilities.
Unfortunately, the problem isn't his skill set but rather his injury woes, as he's played in fewer than 60 games in half of his seasons played, with three of those seeing fewer than 35 games.
During New York's title run this past year, Robinson proved just how important having a quality backup center can be for a contending club -- it's why finding a proper replacement for him should be at the top of the Knicks' to-do list this summer.
Clearly, with the re-signing of their primary starter, the Celtics are looking to use Robinson in a similar manner.
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