The Boston Celtics have added one of the NBA’s most experienced point guards, agreeing to a one-year contract with veteran Mike Conley Jr., according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal makes Conley just the 14th player in league history to reach a 20th NBA season.
Charania reported that Conley considered multiple offers before his agents, Steven Heumann and Jessica Holtz of CAA Sports, informed the Celtics on Wednesday morning that he had chosen Boston.
The move gives Boston another accomplished ball-handler after a 56-26 season that ended in a seven-game first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite finishing second in the Eastern Conference and winning the Atlantic Division, the Celtics were eliminated before reaching the conference semifinals, creating a need for additional veteran leadership and backcourt depth.
Conley arrives after spending the last three and a half seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. His role decreased during the 2025-26 campaign as he appeared in 54 games, making 15 starts while averaging 4.5 points, 2.9 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game. Although his offensive production dipped, he continued to take care of the basketball, averaging only 0.6 turnovers per game.
Over his 19 NBA seasons, Conley has built one of the league’s most consistent careers. The former fourth overall pick has played 1,226 regular-season games, including 1,143 starts, and owns career averages of 13.6 points, 5.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 43.6% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range. He also carries an 82.6% career free-throw percentage and has long been recognized for his efficient decision-making and low turnover rate.
Conley’s résumé includes his lone All-Star selection in 2020-21 with the Utah Jazz, when he averaged 16.2 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc. Earlier in his career, he helped lead the Memphis Grizzlies through the “Grit and Grind” era, reaching the 2013 Western Conference Finals and earning All-Defensive Second Team honors that same season.
