Former Wisconsin Badger guard John Tonje is still in limbo ahead of the Summer League. The Boston Celtics made a decision with John Tonje back in May that was really good for Tonje and his future. The Celtics decided to label him an RFA instead of a UFA, which means the Celtics want every opportunity to keep him, even though he's a free agent now.
Tonje will actually be able to negotiate a contract with other NBA teams, but Boston has every opportunity to counter. The process will have started, and may already have started, by the Celtics. They extend a contract offer to him, whether it's another two-way, a standard NBA contract, or even an Exhibit-10. Tonje can then take the contract and negotiate with other teams. Boston then has a final chance to match or beat.
This is all great news for Tonje, who not only has a team that wants him and could have easily made him a UFA but also has a chance to get as good a contract as possible. The Celtics actually made a Summer League decision earlier today that may or may not impact Tonje.
Per source, veteran guard Kyle Mangas, who was briefly on a two-way contract with the Spurs last season, is expected to be added to the Celtics’ summer league roster.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) June 27, 2026
John Tonje is an RFA and hasn't quite worked out a decision with the Celtics
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The Mangas decision won't really affect Tonje's contract or opportunity, but it does point to the fact that the Celtics are working to finalize their Summer League roster. It kicks off the first week of July, and Boston will want Tonje to be an active part of the league. However, it really depends on how they see Tonje for next year's roster.
Tonje will most likely be given another two-way contract ahead of the summer with an opportunity to earn a different contract based on his play. The Celtics clearly liked what they saw from Tonje last season, and an RFA contract reveals that well. However, they didn't seem ready to give him much more than sparse minutes in the NBA and a heavy G-League workload.
Summer League may change his outlook, but he has to finalize his contract first. For fans that aren't used to NBA negotiations, this isn't uncommon, and decisions will continue to be finalized between now and the opening tip-off of Summer League. The Celtics have a few other contract situations to work out beyond Tonje's, and it's hard to know exactly where they are in the process with Tonje.
Former Badger John Tonje only played in five NBA games last season and averaged seven minutes per game with 2.5 points and 1 rebound per game. Though the stats are all messed up due to mostly mop-up duty in four games, but one game where he played 30 minutes. In that 30-minute game, he had 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He clearly showed he can belong.
He was also electric in the G-League last season for the Maine Celtics, averaging 18.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Tonje may not be ready to take the reins of an NBA starter, but he's clearly shown he has value to the Celtics, and his new contract awaits.
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