Sources: Conley to C's, 12th to reach 20 seasons
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Mike Conley, a 38-year-old free agent guard, agreed to a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics, sources told ESPN, after sifting through multiple offers and informing Celtics brass Wednesday morning.
- Conley becomes the 14th player in NBA history to reach 20 seasons, joining an exclusive group of only 12 others who have hit that mark.
- Conley is one of just four players from the 2007 draft class still active, alongside Kevin Durant, Al Horford and Jeff Green.
- Conley averaged career lows of 4.5 points and 18.4 minutes across 54 games for the Timwolves this past season, but remained a valued locker-room leader and emergency playoff option.
- Minnesota traded Conley to Chicago at the deadline for tax purposes, after which the Bulls packaged him with Coby White in a deal to Charlotte, who waived him and allowed a return to the Timberwolves for the season's remainder.
- Conley started five playoff games and delivered a 12-point, 6-assist performance in a Game 1 road win in San Antonio after injuries to Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards thrust him back into the rotation.
Why it matters: Conley, despite career-low scoring numbers, is essentially a culture-and-veteran-presence addition for a Celtics team built on experienced guards — and his 20-season milestone is a near-unprecedented feat shared by only 13 other players ever. Boston is betting that the same trust-the-veteran dynamic Conley provided in Minnesota's playoff push will translate to a contender's locker room.
