BOS starting White, Walsh, Tatum, George, Robinson

Robinson got the starting nod in his debut for the Celtics, but, as expected, he didn’t dominate the minutes. Neemias Queta played 22 minutes off the bench, and Luka Garza logged eight minutes, leaving Robinson with the other 18. It’s absolutely worth noting that Robinson injured his ankle in this game and was seen icing it after, though Joe Mazzulla downplayed the severity. If Robinson ends up missing any time, Queta will likely slide back into the starting lineup.

Walsh got the starting nod at shooting guard for the opener, but that didn’t result in him playing starter-level minutes. He logged 13 minutes, which was fewer than Payton Pritchard (28 minutes), Sam Hauser (18) and Baylor Scheierman (18). Walsh may or may not continue getting the starting nod, but it’s clear he’s not currently worth rostering in most formats.

After coming off the bench in his first preseason appearances as a Celtic, Robinson started on Wednesday. The 7-footer had an excellent night, not missing a shot from the field or the foul line while also blocking three shots. Neemias Queta (16 points, one rebound and one assist) still played more, logging 24 minutes to Robinson’s 17. At times, the two shared the court in a big lineup, with Queta sliding up to power forward. As long as he’s available, Robinson should get the minutes needed to provide late-round value, especially for managers punting free-throw percentage.

The Celtics did not play Jayson Tatum or Paul George on Thursday, and their absences opened spots in the starting lineup for González and Jordan Walsh (16 points, two rebounds, one assist, one block, and two three-pointers in 26 minutes). As a rookie, González had his moments of fantasy relevance, and head coach Joe Mazzulla has shown a willingness to give young players opportunities to contribute. That said, fantasy managers in redraft leagues are better served adding González to their post-draft watchlists than using a pick on him.

After spending the first eight seasons of his NBA career with the Knicks, Robinson moved north and signed with the Celtics in free agency. One question for the 7-footer is how much he’ll be able to play after ankle issues limited his minutes in each of his final three seasons with the Knicks. Robinson, likely to serve as Neemias Queta’s backup, expressed confidence that he’ll be able to play more after averaging 19.6 minutes per game last season. “Oh, definitely. I feel very confident in myself,” Robinson said. “I’ve been working on my body this whole summer. Figuring things out. And I’m very confident in myself right now.” If he can get his playing time into the mid-20s, that would make Robinson a viable option for fantasy managers, especially those willing to punt free-throw percentage. However, Queta’s presence does limit Robinson’s fantasy ceiling.

With Jayson Tatum out for most of the season, Walsh took on an increased role for the shorthanded Celtics. He’ll be rewarded with an extension that will keep him with the team through the 2029-30 season.

Drummond’s reported deal will be an important one for the Knicks as they look to fill the void at backup center. Drummond has played 14 seasons in the NBA, serving various roles. He’ll essentially replace Mitchell Robinson, who agreed to a deal with the Celtics, to help New York in its title defense. Drummond averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds last season with the 76ers.

Queta enjoyed a breakout season for Boston last year, averaging 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. That was enough for him to earn a contract that will keep him around until for the remainder of the decade. The Celtics added Mitchell Robinson this summer, so Queta will likely split the minutes down low with him, though Queta should be the incumbent starter. He was a top-75 player in nine-category scoring last season in just 25.3 minutes per game, which is certainly a realistic role for him to play while splitting minutes with Robinson.

Robinson’s deal includes a player option in the third season. The 28-year-old center is coming off winning a championship with the Knicks as the organization’s longest-tenured player. Now Robinson will call Boston home for at least the next two season. The Celtics desperately needed help in the frontcourt and the addition of Robinson helps address that need. It’s no surprise the Knicks didn’t elect to sign Robinson given the team’s cap situation the organization’s desire to avoid the second apron. Robinson will go into the Celtic’s mid-level exception and Boston will be hard capped to the first apron.

Fresh off the franchise’s first NBA title in 53 years, the Knicks’ focus has turned to the roster makeup for 2026-27. While Dolan made it clear that he’s fine with writing a check to account for entering the luxury tax, that isn’t the case for the second apron. “If we could bring back the whole team, exactly as it is, why wouldn’t you? But I don’t know if we’re going to be able to, contractually,” Dolan said. “We’re willing to stretch, right. There’s certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do. One of them is called the second apron. Cannot go into the second apron. That’s up to Leon (Rose)...I’ll write as big of a check as possible, but I can’t write a check that goes into the second apron.” This is important because two rotation players, Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet, are among the Knicks who will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the month. And Jose Alvarado, who was critical in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, has a $4.5 million player option. The Knicks barely avoided the second apron this season; this task becomes even more challenging this summer.