Heading into the 2026 NBA offseason, the Boston Celtics had a clear gap at the point guard position.
Brad Stevens addressed that hole in the roster by acquiring Mike Conley in free agency. Conley, 38, will be entering his 20th season in the league and will bring experience and leadership to the Celtics’ rotation.
It would appear that Conley’s addition has gone down well with members of Boston’s roster, too. During a recent appearance on the “Celtics Talk” podcast, Payton Pritchard discussed Conley’s addition and why he’s excited to share the floor with the veteran guard.
“If I could look back and have a similar career that he’s had, then I would be very happy with that, because he is an unbelievable player; [he] had an unbelievable career, and somebody that I can learn a lot from,” Pritchard said.
Conley is clearly in the final stages of his career. However, his defensive ability and connectivity on offense will both be valuable tools for Joe Mazzulla’s rotation. Furthermore, Conley is still capable of making a wide-ranging impact.
While Conley’s box score numbers from last season don’t look great, his per-100 numbers tell a different story. According to Basketball Reference, Conley averaged 11,8 points, 7.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per 100 possessions last season.
If he can maintain a similar level of production off the bench next season, he could be one of the steals of the summer.
Brad Stevens Shares Reasoning For Adding Conley
During a recent appearance on “Beneath The Banners,” Brad Stevens detailed what led him to sign Conley to a one-year veteran minimum deal this 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.”
As long as Conley can perform when called upon, his overall presence will be a legitimate win for Boston.
Conley Pleased To Join the Celtics
When speaking on “Beneath The Banners,” Conley showcased his excitement at becoming a member of 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.”
Despite Conley’s addition, Boston is still short in the guard department. As such, it’ll be interesting to see whether Stevens moves to add another guard, either later this summer or closer to the trade deadline.
Either way, Conley could surprise some people this season, and that’s a reason for Celtics fans to get behind him.
Celtics’ Payton Pritchard Reveals Why Mike Conley Is So Valuable