Now, he's a part of their plans for the next two years.
Robinson and the Celtics have agreed to a two-year deal that could be worth up to $9 million including performance bonuses, and the 25-year-old guard is thrilled to be returning to the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
There was a time earlier this spring when Robinson's future appeared in doubt, when the scrappy youngster had been relegated to the end of Doc Rivers' bench and appeared to be out of the playoff rotation. But Robinson, cool, collected and always confident, never worried about what the future held.
"Not at all," Robinson said in a conference call Thursday evening. "I knew that at the end of the year, I'd be a free agent, and whatever happened happened. God puts you in situations that you know you can excel in."
Robinson's time in the Hub so far has been a roller coaster. In March, he was a fan favorite, draining countless 3's and winning over countless fans. In April, he was in the doghouse, watching the Celtics from the bench. In May and June, he was back on top of the world, saving the Celtics when they were in need of an offensive spark late in the postseason against Orlando and Los Angeles.
Now he's got two more years in Celtic green, and he's looking forward to finding some stability in his role. Finding that stability was a big reason Robinson agreed to come back.
"For me, I think it'll be a good start just to come in and start from scratch," he said. "I've loved my time here in Boston. The fans have welcomed me here with open arms. Doc, Danny Ainge, everybody has been good to me. It's a great organization with a lot of history, and I think I've fit in well with the guys. So I was like, 'Why not?'"
After spending his time with the New York Knicks on a series of one-year contracts, Robinson now has a two-year deal, an indication that he's started to gain some credibility around the league. Robinson eagerly welcomed the Celtics' offer of a multi-year pact.
"It makes me feel secure," he said. "My family is great. Everybody's OK, everybody's happy. Again, playing for the Celtics is definitely a blessing. It's just awesome to be able to play for a team with great history behind it. I'm totally looking forward to it. I can't wait."
The former Washington Husky is now back home in Washington state, where he's spent his summer working out with a handful of fellow Evergreen State natives like Brandon Roy, Jamal Crawford and Aaron Brooks. They meet up five times a week during the offseason, working out and playing pickup games to keep themselves in shape for the NBA.
In a couple months, it'll be back to Boston, where Robinson can look forward to another season of coming off of Rivers' bench, backing up Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen.
"I've been coming off the bench for my whole career," Robinson said. "It's nothing new to me. I'm just going to continue to do my job. I've been a role player my whole career, coming off the bench. I guess it's embedded in me."
