The Celtics have brought back John Tonje on a two-way contract, the team announced (via Twitter).
Tonje was acquired from Utah ahead of the last month’s trade deadline. He was on a two-way deal at the time, but was converted to a 10-day contract on February 19 to help Boston stay below the luxury tax line after the team made a series of cost-cutting transactions in February.
The 24-year-old’s 10-day deal expired overnight, but the Celtics quickly re-signed him to another two-way contract. Tonje made his Celtics (and NBA) debut last Tuesday, playing four minutes, and played another five minutes on Friday.
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 the 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 counted as a rookie minimum player for tax and apron purposes when he was 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.
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.
Tonje, who played for Wisconsin last season, 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.
Dalano Banton‘s 10-day contract with Boston also expired overnight. The fifth-year guard is now an unrestricted free agent.
Doesnt look like Dalano Banton got more than a few garbage minutes so don’t think he will be back as the last free agent.
We should see the list of eligible NBA veterans in the mix by the end of this evening when buy-outs are concluded.
I expect someone experienced.
If Middleton was bought out (which normally will not happen) I would have loved to see him with Boston. But if he was a free agent, probably would have gotten a bit more than the minimum salary for one regular season day.
Hopefully they find a way to sign harper he has been a nice contributing addition to this team