The Celtics have signed Mike Conley to a one-year deal. Conley, who is 38 years old, is entering his 20th NBA season and joins the Celtics after stops with the Memphis Grizzlies (2007-2019), Utah Jazz (2019-2023), and Minnesota Timberwolves (2023-2026). Conley was the Timberwolves’ starting point guard until the 2024-2025 season, and came off the bench last year.
Conley is a career 38.7% three-point shooter and is routinely atop the NBA’s assist-to-turnover leaderboard. Last year, coming off the bench
in Minnesota, he averaged 4.5 points and 2.9 assists in 18.4 minutes per game.
He was named an All-Star in 2021 and was a member of the All-Defensive Second Team in 2012. He has the most NBA Sportsmanship Awards of any player in league history, with four selections (2014, 2016, 2019, and 2023). Despite playing in the NBA for almost two decades, he’s never been whistled for a technical foul.
He’s also been named the NBA’s Teammate of the Year twice, in 2020 and 2024.
Conley is the third former Timberwolves player the Celtics have signed to a minimum contract in the past two offseasons, joining a list that includes Luka Garza and Josh Minott.
Conley, like Brad Stevens, hails from Indiana. He spent one season at Ohio State and was the fourth overall pick in 2007.
Why the Mike Conley signing is a major win
Mike Conley will likely serve as a backup point guard for the Celtics, but he’s also someone who the team could rely on in crucial moments. Though his role was far more limited for the Timberwolves last season, he had some big moments in the playoffs; for example, he tallied 12 points, 6 assists, and 0 turnovers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, and shot 50% from beyond the arc in the 2025-2026 postseason. Conley probably won’t get much run when the team is fully healthy, but he’s a great fit in that he can come off the bench and play big minutes when needed. He’s also unlikely to cause any issues in the locker room due to a lack of minutes.
The move always seems to indicate the Celtics are looking to win now. Last season, they signed younger prospects — Garza and Minott — to their open roster spots. Both were unproven players with upside, and made sense for a season that was centered around player development. But the Celtics went ahead and got a veteran player ahead of the 2026-2027 season, seemingly indicating that the tide has shifted.
Conley immediately becomes the team’s most veteran player. Derrick White, who is 31 years old, is the second-oldest player on the roster.
