Celtics free – Brad Stevens says the 2025-26 Celtics roster wasn’t good enough, pointing to a first-round loss and a 3–11 record versus the top seeds. In that offseason push, Boston’s free-agent conversations could revolve around five players—Mitchell Robinson, Robert Willia
Boston’s season didn’t end with a close call. It ended with the kind of evidence that forces decisions.
Brad Stevens summed it up in three words—“Not. Good. Enough.”—and then laid out why. The Celtics lost in the first round. They also went 3-11 against the top three seeds in the West and the other top two in the East. That’s not just disappointing. It’s a map of what must change.
Stevens’ end-of-season comments came earlier this month in his news conference, and they frame the offseason question the Celtics can’t dodge: how do they get better fast—especially against teams that already look built for the hardest games?
The names are the offseason currency. Here are five impending unrestricted free agents who could fit what Boston needs as it tries to close the gap.
Mitchell Robinson
Boston’s most obvious pressure point is the frontcourt. There aren’t many centers who can swing a matchup this season, and Robinson is the one who stands out.
Boston knows him well. Robinson spent eight seasons as a New York Knick, and that familiarity matters when a team is searching for reliability. His skill set is limited in one clear way: more than 90% of his career field-goal attempts have come inside three feet. per Basketball-Reference. He’s also “notoriously terrible” at the free-throw line.
But what Robinson does, he does with force. He’s a monster on the offensive glass and a top-tier interior defender. This season. per Cleaning the Glass. he ranked in the 87th percentile among big men in block percentage. the 95th percentile in steal percentage and the 100th percentile in offensive rebounding percentage.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla might be wary about adding another non-shooter at the top of his center depth chart. Starter Neemias Queta has more range than Robinson but isn’t a floor-stretcher. Still. Boston’s center group was outclassed in the first-round series against Philadelphia. and Robinson would add “heft” exactly where that failure showed.
The Celtics’ current options only underline the urgency. Queta has a team option for next season. Luka Garza—an offensive rebounder and solid shooter who struggles defensively—has one year left on his contract. Nikola Vucevic. who Boston picked up midseason. is an impending free agent and was a healthy DNP in Game 7 against the 76ers. Stevens’ postseason comments suggested Vucevic is unlikely to return.
C Robert Williams III
Robinson isn’t the only path into the center conversation. Robert Williams III is a former Celtic with a familiar label—once considered one of the NBA’s best defenders—only to have injuries shape his career repeatedly.
Williams has battled injuries throughout his NBA career, missing at least 21 games in each of his eight seasons. Still, this season he was healthy by his standards. His 59 appearances for Portland were nearly as many as he logged in the previous three campaigns combined.
When Williams played, the numbers looked like a reminder of what Boston used to bank on. He averaged 14.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per 36 minutes and shot 70.4% from the field while backing up Donovan Clingan. Williams turns 29 in October, and the Celtics could view him as a cheaper alternative to Robinson.
Boston’s financial flexibility after salary-shedding matters too. Over the last year, the Celtics now have access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, roughly $15 million. Using all of it would hard-cap them at the first apron for 2026-27.
G Anfernee Simons
Boston also has a history of knowing how to find value in guard scoring without forcing the roster to carry dead weight. Anfernee Simons represents that kind of gamble—and the possibility of a reunion.
Simons was an effective sixth man during his half-season in Boston after arriving from the Trail Blazers. He scored in double figures in 37 of his 49 appearances, shot 39.5% from 3-point range and drew frequent praise from Mazzulla for his improved defense.
Boston didn’t keep him. The Celtics shipped Simons to Chicago at the NBA trade deadline. The move netted Vucevic and helped Boston drop below the luxury tax line. But in Chicago, Simons played only six games for the tanking Bulls before being shut down for the season.
At 26 years old, Simons likely will need to settle for less than the $27.7 million he earned in the final year of his current contract.
G Coby White
If the Celtics want a different kind of backcourt boost, Coby White is a name built for that role.
White spent much of his career as a starter in Chicago, then found a second gear as a sixth man with Charlotte after being dealt at February’s trade deadline. In 21 games for the Hornets, he averaged 29.1 points, 5.7 assists and 7.7 free-throw attempts per 36 minutes while shooting 39.1% from three.
Boston already has a backcourt identity, but it lacks depth behind Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. White would add scoring and playmaking ability right where the bench has to be ready when games turn physical.
G Ayo Dosunmu
The last target is about pressure at the rim and athletic offense—exactly what Stevens said Boston has to become more consistent at.
Ayo Dosunmu’s breakthrough came in these playoffs. His 43-point masterclass in Game 4 against Denver made him one of the standout stories. The Timberwolves acquired Dosunmu from Chicago in another of the Bulls’ many deadline deals. They’re hoping to re-sign him. but Dosunmu has said he’s looking forward to testing free agency for the first time in his career.
If Dosunmu hits the market, the Celtics could use his athleticism and his willingness to get to the basket. This season, more than a third of his field-goal attempts—36.7%—were from inside three feet, aligned with his career average.
Boston’s shot profile shows why that matters. The Celtics’ top five scorers all took less than 20% of their shots from that area, and White and Pritchard were below 10%. Stevens wants to change that, specifically mentioning the Celtics’ need to “have more of an impact at the rim.”
There’s also a clear on-court test. In a late-season loss to Minnesota. Boston had trouble corralling Dosunmu—who scored 17 points with eight rebounds and six assists—along with fellow Wolves reserve Bones Hyland. who scored 23 points. If Boston goes bargain shopping for a veteran guard, Hyland could be another name to watch.
Boston Celtics Brad Stevens NBA free agency Mitchell Robinson Robert Williams III Anfernee Simons Coby White Ayo Dosunmu Joe Mazzulla Neemias Queta Luka Garza Nikola Vucevic Jaylen Brown