NEW: John Tonje has been one of the Celtics’ biggest Summer League standouts.
There were questions about his defense, but his head coach thinks he’s answered them:
“He’s given himself a really good chance. He is definitely an NBA player.”
I mean, he’s 25 playing against fringe rookies and end of roster journeymen that probably won’t sniff a guaranteed contract this year.
I like Tonje, but he should be dominating when he wants to at this point.
I think this is a misconception. These guys shouldn’t be showing how much they can dominate, they should show how much they’ll excel on a role. He isn’t looking to be Jayson Tatum, he is looking to support Jayson Tatum.
Tonje has displayed improvements on that area that make him passable as an nba role player. I dont think the Celtics have space for that but Miami and other similar teams with no cap should have.
What I’m confused about is he was already on a 2 year, two-way contract with Utah.
Did we waive him this offseason and then re-sign him to an exhibit 10?
I ask because people have been talking like we have 2 open two-way spots, and I get his spot is technically still fluid, but I coulda sworn he tentatively holds 1 of those open spots.
He was, at least by a Google search, on a two way deal that expired in the end of last season. So he is a UFA
Interesting, maybe I’m mixing him up with RJ Luis
Not quite. We have exclusive rights to sign him to another 2 way. Another team could sign him to standard contract I think, but they can’t sign him to a 2 way until we decline to do so.
You know he was drafted in 2025 right lol? Last year was his first season, this was his 2nd ever summer league. Idk why you would expect him to be dominating, hauser and baylor wouldn’t dominate summer league either
Do you think he should be on the regular team or not?
He’s still gotta give up #8 to RHJ if he stays. I don’t make the rules
Rondae Hollis Jefferson is a Celtic? I’m Googling his name with the word “Celtics” and don’t even see that
Are you joking or are you serious? They’re referring to Ron Harper Jr.
Ohhhhhhhhhh ha my bad
Nah you’re good lol. Happens to the best of us
I do the same thing
To be fair thats an iconic NBA name
Yeah if I weren’t a Celtics fan I woulda thought Rondae Hollis-Jefferson too
I mean a lot of people are confused by this including me. Nobody refers to Harper as RHJ, don’t know why we’re trying to make it a thing.
Lmao
He doesn’t have to, Ron should go back to #51. Real ones know
Him Harper Jr and Garza won that final game together
Whoaaaa now we can’t forget Baylor dropping 30 and 7 that game
Oh shit it was the big 4 like 2010
The streets won’t forget that final game
Fell like we have too many young guys that we will have to package at some point
Not sure Tonje adds value to any package yet.
Expansion draft coming
So with Amari Williams signing to a two-way, who will the other two spots go to?
And i think we have 14 players on standard contracts. Do we sign a 15th, or is it kept it open for optionality?
Moving forward “Optionality” is always the correct answer…
Optionality is free!!
Celtics can have 21 players going into training camp
And im sure theres more trades on the way, there’s no way the JB trade is the only trade that will happen for the C’s this offseason.
Nah 99% sure that’s the only one. I expect us to move hauser at the deadline for some 2nd rounders so we’re under the tax, but outside of that i don’t see us making any more moves until next summer.
We’re currently under the tax with the banton move, but i’m pretty sure we’re going to give mitchell a standard contract so that may put us over, if it doesn’t then we’ll probably keep hauser.
I fully expect to keep it open every season going forward to save that 2 million under whatever threshold we’re at to spend on one of our starters
He looked great against Sacramento on defense. He drew two offensive fouls and nearly got a third. I’m more worried about him being too trigger happy on offense, his defense was excellent.
Are we watching the same games? His defense is overall awful despite flashes. He doesn’t navigate screens well at all and was getting blown by.
Hopefully optionality doesn’t lead us to gifting him to division rival
I liked Seth Lundy from the Raptors. Tonje and Lundy are about the same size(6’5, 6’6” - 225 lbs), yet Lundy has a 6’10” wingspan. Seth Lundy is more of a 3 & D player where Tonje is more dynamic 3 level scorer. Really kinda depends on what you value. Personally, I like the idea of someone I believe can D up SGA when needed.
If you watched the Summer League games you’d know Tonje is absolutely not a dynamic offensive player and should probably only be taking 3’s.
He looked ok on a few transition plays where he poked the ball out and had absolutely nobody in front of him, but any attempt at driving was absolutely awful.
Do you have any thoughts on Seth Lundy?