Earlier this summer, Brad Stevens sought to address the Boston Celtics‘ guard depth with the acquisition of free agent veteran Mike Conley.
Conley, 38, will be entering his 20th NBA season in October. He will bring veteran know-how and a reliable ball-handling presence off the bench. Interestingly, Boston wasn’t the only team interested in adding Conley to its roster ahead of the new season.
Yet, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, the allure of playing for a ‘flagship’ franchise ultimately drew Conley to sign with the Celtics.
“I think that, in talking to Mike a little bit, and talking to people around him and around the organization,” Krawczynski told CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning during a recent episode of ‘Celtics Daily.’ “What appealed to him about Boston was that he’s never been in the Eastern Conference, but, I was told, Mike really wanted to at least spend one year playing for a flagship franchise.”
Krawczynski continued.
“It’s nothing against the Grizzlies, Jazz or the Wolves, but none of those teams are royalty in the NBA like the Boston Celtics are…They have a history and a gravitas about them and Conley wanted to experience what it was like playing for that kind of a franchise with that kind of a fan base with that kind of a of just a lore about them.”
Conley’s decision to join Boston will see him become one of its primary backup ball-handlers for the upcoming season.
Brad Stevens Happy With Mike Conley Addition
During a recent episode of ‘Beneath The Banners,” Stevens explained his decision-making process behind signing Conley earlier in the summer.
“People talk about veteran leadership, and they talk about how important vets are,” Stevens said. “And my argument to that would be good vets are really important. 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 that’s what you get with Mike. And he still, every time he plays, has a big impact on winning.”
Stevens continued.
“And so I think the balance of being able to play at a high level (and) not needing to play every minute of every game is an incredibly valuable thing, and it’s usually reserved for guys that have a good perspective on life. And Mike does — he certainly has that.”
Conley is Happy to Join the Boston Celtics
When speaking on ‘Beneath The Banners,’ Conley shared his excitement at signing his one-year deal with the Celtics.
“Too excited,“ Conley said. ”This is a legendary organization. I’ve been a fan of the game for a long time. The Celtics have been at the forefront of that. Just excited to be here.”
Conley played in 54 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. He averaged 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He shot 32.7% from two-point range and 33.7% from three-point range. There will be plenty of opportunity for him to make an impact in Joe Mazzulla’s rotation this season, especially as a veteran presence on and off the court.
Celtics’ Mike Conley Had Surprising Reason For Choosing Boston