Celtics To Sign Mike Conley

An impact player during his prime years who made an All-Defensive team in 2013 and an All-Star team in 2021, Conley no longer plays a starring role at age 38. He averaged a career-low 4.5 points and 2.9 assists in just 18.4 minutes per game across 54 appearances for the Timberwolves in 2025/26, ceding the starting point guard role to Donte DiVincenzo.

However, Conley is a highly respected veteran who has won the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award four times. To that point, after trading him away in a financially motivated deal at the 2026 trade deadline, Minnesota brought back the former Ohio State standout a few days later on a minimum-salary contract for the rest of the season, signaling how highly the organization valued his presence in the locker room.

Conley will provide depth in a Celtics backcourt headed up by Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. His signing won’t materially affect the team’s cap situation, given that he’ll be on a minimum deal that will carry a cap hit of roughly $2.45MM.

As Charania observes, by returning for the 2026/27 season, the longtime NBA guard will join the group of select few players to spend at least 20 seasons in the league. Al Horford and Conley, who were selected third and fourth overall, respectively, in the 2007 draft, are on track to become the 13th and 14th players in NBA history to reach the 20-season mark.