The Portland Trail Blazers swooped in and took John Tonje out from under the nose of the Boston Celtics. After spending most of last season on a two-way deal with the Celtics, Boston signed Tonje to a Summer League-only deal, and that turned out to be a mistake. He was a revelation for Boston, and not only was he one of the most reliable players for the Celtics, but Summer League head coach Amile Jefferson called him a leader and someone the Celtics could trust.
The Celtics were caught up trying to figure out the top part of their roster, and then Portland swung in from the top rope and convinced Tonje to sign with them. Today it was learned that Portland sweetened the pot enough to make Tonje silly for not going to the West Coast. The Trail Blazers gave him a two-year deal, which is rare for a two-way player.
John Tonje's two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers is a two-year deal, a league source told @spotrac.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 27, 2026
John Tonje signed an incredible two-year two-way deal with the Portland Trail Blazers
Related: NBA writer explains why John Tonje was one of Portland's smartest signings
This type of contract is pretty rare among two-way players but not for Portland. The team is working hard to get things going and find a way to be a successful NBA team, which they've done a few times. According to Portland reporter Sean Highkin, "The Blazers tend to do this. Sidy Cissoko's two-way he signed during the 2024-25 season was for two years. So were the ones Jayson Kent and Chris Youngblood signed last season, so they're still under contract."
Tonje was great for the G-League last season (mostly for the Maine Celtics) but barely saw any action on the NBA Celtics roster. However, in Vegas this summer, he put the rest of the league on notice when, in five appearances, he played 24.2 minutes per contest, averaging 14.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.2 steals. He shot 51.0% from the floor and 45.2% from three. It's that last stat that Trail Blazers writers think is the primary reason Portland picked him up.
The Trail Blazers struggled with wing depth and shooting last season. They went in and found one of the best players available to give them both. Last season in the G-League, Tonje shot 37.0% from three on 5.8 attempts per game. He then went and had north of 45% in the Summer League. That's exactly what Portland is looking for.
According to Rip City Project's Finn Kuehl, "The John Tonje signing looks awesome. Portland’s front office is clearly mindful of what their roster is missing. The former 53rd overall pick has a lot to offer as a role player, but his strongest asset is his off-ball shooting on the wing."
Now they've signed him for two full seasons, and while that doesn't always mean anything in the NBA, it does mean a lot to Tonje, who will find paychecks and security where he didn't this summer. Wisconsin fans are definitely paying attention and hope to see him more on the Portland roster than the Rip City Remix (G-League for Portland).
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