Mike Conley’s 20th NBA season will come with the Boston Celtics, as he becomes just the 14th player in NBA history to reach the milestone.
After a quiet start to free agency, the Celtics signed Conley, who turns 39 in October, to a one-year deal. The fourth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft will join his fourth NBA team after spending time with the Grizzlies (2007-19), Jazz (2019-23), and Timberwolves (2023-26).
An All-Star in 2020-21, Conley averaged career lows across the board last season, posting 4.5 points (33.5% FG, 33.7% 3PT), 2.9 assists, and 1.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes over 54 games (15 starts). He was traded to Charlotte at the deadline but returned to Minnesota after the Hornets released him.
While the production has declined, Conley remained one of the league’s steadiest ball-handlers. His 4.62 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked third among players who appeared in at least 50 games.
Over his 19-year career, Conley has averaged 14.9 points (43.6% FG, 38.7% 3PT), 5.5 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. Though he isn’t the player he once was, he remains a highly respected veteran who can be trusted when called upon, as we saw in the postseason.
In the three playoff games he played at least 20 minutes this postseason, the Timberwolves went 3-0, highlighted by a 12-point (4-of-7 from three), six-rebound, two-assist performance in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Spurs. He made five starts during Minnesota’s playoff run.
He gives the Celtics another reliable ball-handler, something they needed. Boston can trust him to take care of the ball, defend at a high level, and provide steady minutes whenever his number is called.
Conley is also the type of high-character player Brad Stevens has consistently targeted. He has won the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award four times, the most of any player in league history, and has twice been named the NBA’s Teammate of the Year. Despite appearing in more than 1,200 games and logging over 37,500 career minutes, he has never received a technical foul.
The Celtics still have work to do this offseason, but adding Conley, with his veteran presence in a low-usage role behind Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, is a solid move. He improves Boston’s end-of-the-roster depth while adding one of the league’s most respected voices to the locker room.
Conley has built a reputation as the type of teammate every organization wants — a steadying presence who helps set the standard behind the scenes. For a Celtics team expected to rely on several young contributors, that veteran leadership could go a long way.
