Celtics sign 6-foot-4 ex-Jazz guard two weeks after trading for him

Dalano Banton wasn’t the only player to ink a deal with the Boston Celtics on Thursday. 

The Celtics reportedly also signed a 6-foot-4 ex-Utah Jazz guard two weeks after trading for him.

“The Boston Celtics are converting rookie two-way guard John Tonje to a standard 10-day NBA deal,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported on X/Twitter. 

“Tonje, a former Wisconsin All-American, has been a standout with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League team.”

Scotto isn’t lying about Tonje. The former second-round pick is averaging 18.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game in the NBA’s minor league, shooting 43.7% from the field and 34.8% from three-point land. 

That said, Tonje has yet to appear in an NBA game, raising questions about his ability to perform at the highest level of basketball. The Utah Jazz selected the North Omaha, Nebraska native with the No. 53 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, Utah traded him to the Celtics before he could get his feet wet.

Regarding the details of the Feb. 5 deal, the Jazz center Tonje to the Celtics for Chris Boucher and a future second-round pick. Although Tonje still has a long way to go, there’s a chance he could receive his big break with the 2024 NBA champions. 

It’ll be interesting to see how Tonje’s stint with Boston plays out.

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