The Celtics will get back to the required roster minimum by converting two-way player John Tonje to a 10-day contract, agents George Roussakis and Mark Bartelstein tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The move had been anticipated, since Boston had to increase its standard roster count to 14 players after carrying just 12 for the two weeks since the trade deadline. The Celtics will also sign free agent guard Dalano Banton to a 10-day deal, as Scotto reported earlier this morning.
The 53rd overall pick in the 2025 draft, Tonje was selected by the Jazz last June and signed a two-way contract with Utah last August. He didn’t play at all at the NBA level before being included in a deadline deal that sent Chris Boucher and a future second-round pick to the Jazz.
As we wrote after the deadline, Boston specifically targeted Tonje in that trade because, as a draft-rights rookie, he’ll count as a rookie minimum player for tax and apron purposes when he’s converted to a standard contract.
In order to stay out of the tax for the rest of the season, the Celtics needed one more rookie minimum player in addition to Max Shulga (who figures to be promoted later in the season). The team wouldn’t have gotten the same financial benefit by signing a rookie free agent due to the “tax variance” rule, which we explain in more depth in a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry.
While a 10-day contract for any free agent – including Banton – will carry a $131,970 charge for tax/apron purposes, Tonje will count for just $73,153, allowing the Celtics to add only about $205K to their books for the two signings. They’ll remain roughly $637K below the tax threshold.
As Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) first outlined, Boston likely plans to go another 14 days with just 12 players on the roster after these two 10-day deals expire, then will sign Shulga and a veteran free agent to rest-of-season minimum contracts in mid-March. That would give the club just enough breathing room below the tax line to sign a 15th man on the last day of the regular season.
While Tonje has yet to make his NBA debut and is being promoted for financial reasons, he has played well in the G League this season. After averaging 18.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 30.3 minutes per game on .467/.376/.928 shooting in 32 appearances for the Salt Lake City Stars, the 6’4″ guard has racked up 50 total points in his first two outings for the Maine Celtics.
“In his first [how many??] outings with the Maine Celtics ….”
Fixed, thanks.