After a long wait and far too much speculation, former Wisconsin Badger John Tonje has officially landed himself another chance in the NBA, this time as part of the Boston Celtics' Summer League team. Prior to this announcement, there had been very little buzz as to who had interest in Tonje, an odd sight considering his relatively solid rookie year, which was mostly spent dominating in the G League.
However, the Celtics decided to bite the bullet and invest in the guy they bought some stock in midway through last season, giving the 25-year-old another chance to prove himself with the team. Tonje will join a solid group of young talent that Boston has brought in for Vegas, with numerous other second-year players and a handful of talented rookies looking to prove themselves.
Boston Celtics have announced their summer league roster pic.twitter.com/bx9wzeHEaI
— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) July 8, 2026
Tonje does have a considerable leg up on other two-way candidates on the roster, such as Milos Uzan, Curtis Jones and Caleb Grill, none of whom have any experience within the Celtics' system. Unlike the rest of that group, Tonje spent half of last year in Boston, bouncing between limited runs with the top club but spending most of his time in the G League.
Earning his Spot
With the Maine Celtics, Tonje was solid, averaging 18.1 points on 62% true shooting, showcasing exactly what kind of scoring versatility he can bring. Along with that, he showed some promising signs as a rebounder, posting a 14% defensive rebounding rate and helping add some extra stock to his relatively limited arsenal.
Now, the challenge that awaits Tonje is being able to assert himself amongst a group of NBA-caliber players, something he has done at every turn to this point. As of now, he is not officially under contract with an NBA team, as the Celtics chose not to re-sign him to a two-way deal when given the chance this offseason.
John Tonje was EXPLOSIVE tonight for the @MaineCeltics in their win against the Magic! The @celtics two-way scored a career-high 42 points with EIGHT 3-pointers made. 🔥👏 pic.twitter.com/nbawNl02GN
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 11, 2026
However, plenty of open roster spots, and two-way spots in particular, remain, giving him plenty of chances to still find a home on an NBA roster. Along with that, Tonje has some fate working on his side, with Boston's first-round pick from last season, Hugo Gonzalez, fresh off of FIBA qualifiers and likely not to be given a huge chunk of playing time.
Nonetheless, Tonje will have plenty of opportunity to prove himself and stamp his name into the minds of NBA GMs.
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