Celtics Sign John Tonje To Two-Way Contract
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.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Horford, Banton, Harper
Jayson Tatum emphasized that he still hasn’t made a decision on whether to return this season as he met with reporters before the Celtics practiced on Saturday, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. However, Tatum did discuss a workout he took part in this week in San Francisco with teammates and assistant coaches.
“There was a little five-on-five,” he said. “It’s tough to go into detail of every single thing I do every day. But I will say getting acclimated more and doing limited things with some of the guys out there. It’s all a part of the rehab.”
That session, combined with Tatum scrimmaging with Boston’s G League affiliate earlier this month, has fans buzzing that he might be ready for game action soon, Terada adds. Tatum refused to assign a percentage to his recovery, but said, “I know what 100% feels like.” However, he hasn’t practiced with the Celtics yet, which is one of several hurdles that have to be cleared before a comeback can be considered.
“It just kind of depends on how he continues to hit those checkmarks, whatever they may be,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “At the end of the day, we have to make sure the main goal has always been get to 100%, get to as healthy as you possibly can and go from there. He’s done a great job working. My hope is that he gets as healthy as he can.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Prior to Thursday’s matchup with the Warriors, Al Horford told reporters that his decision to leave Boston in free agency last summer was “something that’s deeper than just the basketball stuff of it,” relays Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link). Horford spent the previous four seasons with the Celtics before accepting a two-year offer from Golden State that includes a nearly $6MM player option for next season. “And it’s something that at some point I’ll share with people,” Horford said, “but for me it felt like it was the time for me to go elsewhere.”
- Dalano Banton, who inked a 10-day contract on Thursday, is thankful to get another chance with the Celtics, per Adam Himmelsbach and Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). Banton signed with Boston prior to the 2023/24 season, but was sent to Portland at that year’s trade deadline. “Definitely grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “A lot of familiar faces here. I had a good short time here. That relationship still lasts. Kept in touch with a lot of the organization, a lot of staff while I was away. I feel like I had a good time here and building relationships with people go a long way and I’m grateful for them to bring me back.”
- In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of MassLive points to Ron Harper Jr. as the player most likely to be signed when the Celtics are able to afford a rest-of-season contract without going into tax territory. Harper is currently on a two-way deal and has appeared in 11 NBA games this season.
Celtics Sign Dalano Banton To 10-Day Contract
2:52 pm: Banton has officially signed a 10-day contract with the Celtics, the team announced today in a press release. Tonje has also inked a 10-day deal, as we outlined in a separate story.
8:52 am: The Celtics, who must make two additions to their 15-man roster on Thursday, will fill one of their openings by signing free agent guard Dalano Banton to a 10-day contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Banton, 26, was a second-round pick in 2021 and has since appeared in 218 regular season games for the Raptors, Celtics, Trail Blazers, and Clippers. He was a rotation regular last season in Portland, where he averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game across 67 outings (seven starts).
However, Banton was unable to land a spot on a regular season roster last fall and has spent most of 2025/26 playing for the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ G League affiliate. He just recently caught on with the Clippers, but his 10-day deal with L.A. expired earlier this week, freeing him up to return to Boston, where he played for a half-season in ’23/24.
The Celtics have been carrying 12 players on their standard roster since making a series of trades at the February 5 deadline. Teams are permitted to dip below the usual minimum of 14 players on standard contracts, but only for up to two weeks at a time (and 28 total days during a season), so Boston must get back to the 14-man minimum today.
The margins for the Celtics to remain below the luxury tax line for the rest of the season are razor-thin, so the expectation is that the team will sign a pair of players to 10-day deals on Thursday, then spend another 14 days at 12 players once those contracts expire.
Two-way rookies Max Shulga and John Tonje are expected to be part of the club’s plan sooner or later, since their rookie-minimum deals would be more team-friendly for tax/apron purposes than a veteran’s minimum deal.
Clippers Sign Dalano Banton To 10-Day Contract
February 8: Banton’s 10-day contract was finalized on Saturday, according to the official transactions log at NBA.com.
February 7: The Clippers plan to sign free agent guard Dalano Banton to a 10-day contract, according to reports from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links).
The Raptors selected Toronto native Banton with the 46th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He played two years for his hometown team and then spent the following two seasons with Boston and Portland.
In 216 games from 2021-25, Banton averaged 6.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .402/.304/.728 shooting (14.5 minutes per contest). At 6’8″, Banton has great size for a guard, but struggled with efficiency over the course of his first four years in the league.
Banton was unable to find a regular NBA contract as a free agent in 2025, instead inking an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with Dallas in October prior to being waived. He has been playing in the G League with Mavs’ affiliate team, the Dallas Legends.
The 26-year-old has put up big numbers with a high usage rate in the NBAGL this season, averaging 24.2 PPG, 6.7 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .441/.325/.821 shooting in 32 total games (32.7 MPG).
The Clippers had a pair of standard roster openings after making three trades prior to Thursday’s deadline. Banton will, at least temporarily, fill one of those spots. Assuming Banton’s 10-day deal is finalized prior to Sunday’s game at Minnesota, his contract will expire over the All-Star break.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac notes (via Twitter), the Clippers are nearing their “under-15” limit for two-way players — a team carrying fewer than 15 players on its standard roster can only use players on two-way contracts for up to 90 combined games. Signing Banton as a 14th man and then filling the 15th roster spot would allow L.A. to continue deploying both Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller beyond Saturday’s game (one of the two could be promoted into that 15th spot).
[Update: Kobe Sanders Receives Standard Contract From Clippers]
Kobe Sanders Receives Standard Contract From Clippers
The Clippers have promoted two-way player Kobe Sanders to a standard contract, the team announced (via Twitter).
According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), Sanders’ new deal will be a two-year, minimum-salary contract that features a team option for 2026/27.
The 23-year-old shooting guard has become a productive member of L.A.’s rotation in his first NBA season. Through 43 games, he’s averaging 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21.5 minutes per night with .448/.381/.814 shooting numbers.
Sanders agreed to the two-way contract after being selected with the 50th pick in last year’s draft. The Clippers acquired him in a draft night trade with New York.
With just 13 players holding standard contracts, L.A. was nearing its “under-15” limit for two-way players to be active. A team carrying fewer than 15 players on its standard roster can only use players on two-way contracts for up to 90 combined games.
Sanders’ promotion and the expected signing of Dalano Banton to a 10-day contract will remove that concern, at least through the All-Star break.
When Banton’s 10-day deal expires, the Clippers will have to re-fill that 15th roster spot to ensure two-way player Jordan Miller can remain active — Miller himself could be promoted into that spot.
G Leaguers Making Cases For NBA Promotions
Over the past 10 days, several players have earned promotions to either standard or two-way contracts. Several more transactions will be coming this week, as January 5 marks the first day clubs can sign players to standard 10-day contracts and Jan. 7 is the final day in which players who have non-guaranteed salaries (including two-ways) can be waived before their deals become guaranteed.
With that in mind, Keith Smith of Spotrac recently listed 23 players — seven ball-handlers, 10 wings and six bigs — who have been playing well in the G League and are candidates to receive NBA promotions either in the coming days or later in the season. One player from Smith’s list — Tristen Newton — just signed a two-way deal with Houston.
Smith compiled the list based on his own film reviews and spoke to NBA executives, scouts and player agents to solicit their input as well.
Most of the G Leaguers Smith cites have previous NBA experience. That group includes Kobe Bufkin, Killian Hayes, Dalano Banton, Kevin Knox II, Jalen Slawson, Charles Bassey, Moses Brown, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, among others. Bufkin, Bassey and Robinson-Earl actually spent time with NBA teams in 2025/26.
Smith singles out Slawson of the Noblesville Boom as the “best all-around player” to this point in the NBAGL season. A 6’7″ forward who was selected 54th overall in the 2023 draft, Slawson has been filling up the stat sheet for the Pacers‘ affiliate, averaging 21.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.0 blocks in 10 games (34.2 minutes per contest).
There are also a handful players on Smith’s list who have not yet received their first NBA call-ups, including Darius Brown II (Cleveland Charge), Teddy Allen (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) and Matthew Cleveland (Texas Legends). According to Smith, Cleveland has been one of the top rookies at the G League level — the undrafted wing out of Miami is suiting up for the Mavericks‘ affiliate.
Stein’s Latest: Connaughton, Knicks, Mazzulla, Curry, Mavs
Charlotte’s decision to release Spencer Dinwiddie — after signing the veteran guard to a guaranteed minimum-salary contract over the summer — surprised some people around the NBA, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
There was some speculation that the Hornets might waive Pat Connaughton instead, but Stein hears the team decided to keep the veteran wing because he’s popular in the locker room and has championship experience. Another key factor: the Hornets remain cautiously optimistic they might be able to use Connaughton’s $9.4MM expiring contract in a trade before February’s deadline, Stein writes.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The Knicks attempted to speak to several employed head coaches when they were looking for a replacement for Tom Thibodeau, but all of their formal requests were denied. According to Stein, there have been rumblings that New York also informally explored the possibility of trying to pursue Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, which obviously went nowhere — a month after the Knicks hired Mike Brown, Mazzulla signed an extension with Boston. While the Celtics vaguely referred to Mazzulla’s agreement as a multiyear extension, Stein hears the 37-year-old likely received a six-year contract.
- There’s zero doubt that the Warriors will eventually re-sign Seth Curry — the only question is when, says Stein. While Golden State could technically bring Curry back on November 11, waiting a bit beyond that date would give the Warriors more breathing room below their second apron hard cap, and they are believed to be considering that path, per Stein.
- The Mavericks waived NBA veterans Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Dalano Banton and Dennis Smith Jr. on Friday. Their G League affiliate — the Texas Legends — controls the returning rights of Robinson-Earl and Banton, and Dallas expects both players to open the season with the Legends, according to Stein. The Mavs are also optimistic that Smith with play for the Legends, but Stein points out that the former lottery pick’s rights are currently held by the Wisconsin Herd — an NBGL trade between Wisconsin and Texas would need to occur for that to happen. Banton was on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Mavs (Robinson-Earl and Smith were on Exhibit 9s), so he’s the only player of the group who will receive a bonus if he spends at least 60 days with the Legends.
Mavericks Release Banton, Robinson-Earl, Smith
The Mavericks have requested waivers on Dalano Banton, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Dennis Smith Jr., the team announced today (Twitter link).
All three NBA veterans were on non-guaranteed contracts for training camp. Banton’s deal contained both Exhibit 9 and Exhibit 10 language, meaning he’s now eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he reports to the Texas Legends and spends at least 60 days with Dallas’ G League affiliate.
Robinson-Earl and Smith, meanwhile, were on Exhibit 9 deals, protecting the Mavs in the event of an injury to either player, which thankfully did not occur.
Banton was the 46th overall pick in the 2021 draft and has played in 216 regular season games for Toronto, Boston and Portland over the past four seasons. In ’24/25, he made a career-high 67 appearances, averaging 8.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .391/.324/.728.
The Canadian guard looked like a relative long shot to make Dallas’ roster, given that he was signed a week after training camp had gotten underway.
Robinson-Earl, a 6’9″ forward/center, was also selected in the second round of 2021 (32nd overall) and has appeared in 197 regular season contests for Oklahoma City and New Orleans over the past four seasons. In ’24/25, he averaged 6.3 PPG and 4.8 RPG in a career-best 66 games (18.8 MPG) for the Pelicans, posting a shooting slash line of .455/.341/.836.
Robinson-Early had by far the largest role of the three players during preseason, appearing in all four games for the Mavs while averaging 7.3 PPG and 4.0 MPG in 12.2 MPG.
Despite being out of the NBA last season, Smith is undoubtedly the most familiar face for Mavs fans. Dallas selected the 6’2″ guard No. 9 overall back in 2017, but wound up trading him to New York during his second season as part of the Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster.
Smith has developed into a strong point-of-attack defender, but has struggled to score efficiently throughout his seven-year career. He drew praise from head coach Jason Kidd multiple times during training camp.
The moves seemingly indicate that the Mavs intend to keep guards Dante Exum and Brandon Williams on their standard roster. Exum’s minimum-salary contract is fully guaranteed, but he has dealt with a right knee injury during training camp and preseason and could miss extended time.
While Williams’ deal is only partially guaranteed for $200K in 2025/26, Dallas has been encouraged by the 25-year-old’s development over the past couple seasons, having promoted him from a two-way deal at the end of ’24/25.
The Mavs now have 18 players under contract.
Dante Exum Sidelined By Right Knee Soreness
Mavericks guard Dante Exum is dealing with pain in his right knee that has limited his availability in practice and caused him to miss his second straight preseason game tonight, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
In a pregame meeting with reporters, coach Jason Kidd said the team is taking a cautious approach with Exum’s recovery. He indicated that Exum will be out for an extended period, but didn’t speculate on how long it might be. This is the first time anyone from the team has provided specifics on the injury that has affected Exum since training camp began.
Kidd added that the Mavs are taking a “long-term view” with Exum’s health and explained that the injury has “delayed his preparation for the start of the season,” tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
Injuries have been a career-long issue for Exum, who only appeared in 20 games last season due to right wrist surgery and a broken left hand. He was still an effective player when healthy, making 13 starts and averaging 8.7 points and 2.8 assists in 18.6 minutes per night.
Exum reached an agreement in early July to re-sign with the team on a one-year, minimum-salary contract. The deal wasn’t finalized until September 1 because Dallas had to open a roster spot and clear up room under its second apron hard cap. That happened when the Mavs waived and stretched former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper in late August.
Dallas had been hoping for better health from the 30-year-old combo guard, as Kyrie Irving is still recovering from a torn ACL and his return date remains uncertain. In addition, Brandon Williams is dealing with a hamstring strain he suffered early in training camp.
If Exum’s absence appears to be prolonged, it could improve the chances for Dalano Banton (Exhibit 10 contract) or Dennis Smith Jr. (Exhibit 9 deal) to earn a roster spot.
Mavericks Sign Dalano Banton To Exhibit 10 Contract
12:51 pm: It’s an Exhibit 10 deal for Banton, confirms Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
10:43 am: The Mavericks have signed free agent swingman Dalano Banton, the team announced today (via Twitter). In order to create room on the roster for Banton, Dallas waived camp invitee Matthew Cleveland, whose contract was fully non-guaranteed.
While details of Banton’s deal aren’t yet known, it will likely be non-guaranteed too, with Exhibit 9 and perhaps Exhibit 10 language.
Banton, who will turn 26 next month, was the 46th overall pick in the 2021 draft and has played in 216 regular season games for Toronto, Boston, and Portland over the past four seasons. In 2024/25, he made a career-high 67 appearances, averaging 8.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .391/.324/.728.
Banton reportedly auditioned for multiple NBA teams this summer, including Golden State and Indiana, while also drawing overseas interest.
It’s possible Banton will have an opportunity to compete for a spot on the Mavericks’ regular season roster, battling with Brandon Williams ($200K partial guarantee) and Dennis Smith Jr. (non-guaranteed contract) to become the club’s 15th man. However, given that he’s being added to the preseason roster a week after training camp got underway, that might be a long shot.
If Banton’s deal does include an Exhibit 10 clause, he would be a candidate to join the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, assuming he’s waived in the next couple weeks. That could put him in position to earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 with the Legends while making his case for a promotion to the NBA.