John Tonje was sitting at the end of the Boston Celtics bench in street clothes, checking out his new NBA team, but inactive for the game. He took in the sights and settled into his new team while his former teammates from both the Salt Lake City Stars (G-League) and the Wisconsin Badgers, Max Klesmit and Steven Crowl, had their best G-League game of the season.
The two even combined for a highlight reel play in a combo from one Badger to the other. Both had their most minutes and best production in the wake of the NBA trade deadline.
No John Tonje anymore, but this is still cool as hell.
— Michael McCleary (@MikeJMcCleary) February 7, 2026
Steve (19.3 MPG) and Max (16.8 MPG) both have been getting good run in the G League regular season. Nice to see for the former #Badgers https://t.co/GmYw7IJ2pD https://t.co/QL198MmvbU
Max Klesmit and Steven Crowl had increased opportunity after the NBA trade deadline
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The Salt Lake City Stars defeated the Worcester Knicks 131-107 in a renewed roster after a few key pieces changed due to the NBA trade deadline. One of those pieces was Tonje getting shipped off to Boston, where he will mostly play for the Maine Celtics (G-League). Crowl got the start and played 31 minutes, while Klesmit was one of the first off the bench but still had 22 minutes.
Crowl ended the game with his first G-League double-double, getting 11 rebounds and 10 points. He also had four assists and one steal.
Klesmit had 12 points, three assists, and two rebounds. The two had their best games of the season. Klesmit is a player averaging only 16.8 minutes per game with only 6.1 points. However, without Tonje and some of the other departures, he saw more play and more game activity.
It seems that even without Tonje around, he's still boosting his teammates, as they got to showcase a bit more of what they can do. Klesmit and Crowl are still developing in the G-League, and it will continue to take a lot for them to make an NBA active roster. This was a big boost to their long-term hopes.