The Boston Celtics didn’t just add another veteran this offseason - they added a player who wanted the whole Celtics experience.
According to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, Mike Conley had a specific reason for picking Boston over other NBA options: he wanted a shot at a flagship franchise. On an appearance on Celtics Daily, Krawczynski said Conley was drawn to the Celtics because he had never played in the Eastern Conference and wanted to spend at least one year with a team that carries real NBA weight.
“In talking to Mike a little bit and talking to people around him and around the organization, what appealed to him about Boston was A) he’s never been in the Eastern Conference,” Krawczynski said. “But B) I was told that Mike really wanted to at least spend one year playing for a flagship franchise.”
That matters because Conley is entering his 20th NBA season in 2026-27, and for the first time, he’ll suit up for a franchise with a championship résumé that stands above the rest. The Memphis Grizzlies drafted him No. 4 overall in 2007, and he spent his first 12 seasons there. He then played three and a half seasons each with the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves before landing in Boston.
The appeal wasn’t hard to understand. Memphis, Utah, and Minnesota have all been solid NBA homes for Conley, but none of them have won a title. Boston has won a record 18 championships, and Conley signed a one-year, $3.9 million veteran minimum deal to see what it’s like to be part of that kind of operation.
“It’s nothing against the Grizzlies or the Jazz or the Wolves, but none of those teams are in royalty with the NBA,” Krawczynski said. “The Boston Celtics are historic. They have a history and a gravitas about them that Conley wanted to experience what it was like playing for that kind of a franchise with that kind of a fanbase, with just a lore about them.
“And so I also know that he has a lot of respect for Joe Mazzulla and for the way that he coaches and the way that he goes about things,” Krawczynski continued. “And so he wanted to just at least once in his career see what it was like to be at the very top end of the pecking order when it comes to NBA franchises.
“And so I think he’s really looking forward to just being in that organization, being in that building every night and just seeing what the differences are with that kind of a franchise versus the ones that he’s used to playing with,” Krawczynski added.
Minnesota, meanwhile, wanted to keep him. Krawczynski said the Timberwolves had interest in bringing Conley back, and even at 38, he still had value to them. In 2025-26, Conley averaged 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game, and Chris Finch continued to rely on him in games and in practice.
Boston, though, is looking at Conley for a different kind of impact. His minutes may not move the needle much, but his voice and presence could matter plenty. Brad Stevens made that point when he talked about what Conley brings.
“People talk about veteran leadership, and they talk about how important vets are, and my argument to that would be good vets are really important,” Stevens said. “Guys that really have a great understanding of where they are in their career, how they impact winning, and the appropriate amount of expectations from the individual standpoint. And I think that’s what you get with Mike.”
The Celtics are coming off a strange season that somehow fit both sides of the expectations spectrum. They finished 56-26 and earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, then turned around and blew a 3-1 lead before losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.
After that collapse, Boston sent Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. The Celtics also added Mitchell Robinson and Conley, and now the question is whether those moves can push them forward next season.
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