John Tonje made his NBA debut the other night but didn't record any meaningful stats, unless you count a missed three-point shot. He was in and out, and that was that. Yesterday, he got another chance, this time in garbage time, as the Boston Celtics were up by a good chunk, and Tonje played the final five minutes of the game.
In that time, he recorded multiple stats, making two free throws for his first NBA points, two rebounds, and one assist. This is all great news for Tonje as he now can say he has scored and contributed in the NBA, in a win. However, this puts the Boston Celtics a bit more under the gun when it comes to his 10-day contract.
John Tonje has scored his first NBA points for the Boston Celtics ahead of a contract decision
He signed his 10-day contract on February 19th, which means that tomorrow is the final day of his contract. The Celtics will have to decide what to do with the second-round pick. Will they re-sign him to another 10-day contract? Or maybe back to a two-way contract? They could even sign him to a longer NBA contract (though this is unlikely). There's also the chance they could release him.
The hard part about Tonje's contract is that he was moved to a 10-day contract, not to help the roster but to help the luxury tax. So, his contract was always a financial move. While he was doing great in his two games for the G-League Maine Celtics, he was brought up to help the NBA roster save money.
Yet, now he's jumped into two games, limited for sure, but also a good sign that they don't mind seeing what he has at the NBA level. The decision is looming for the Celtics, and they have only a couple more days to decide what they will do with Tonje.