After a stellar showing for the Boston Celtics throughout this year’s Las Vegas Summer League, John Tonje has signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
“The Portland Trail Blazers are signing guard John Tonje on a two-way NBA contract, George Roussakis and Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tell ESPN,” Charania reported. “Tonje appeared in six games for the Celtics last season as a rookie.”
Tonje spent part of last season on a two-way contract with the Celtics. He also made six regular-season appearances for Joe Mazzulla’s team in what was his rookie year. Nevertheless, it was earlier this month that Tonje proved himself as a potential scoring threat at the NBA level.
In five games for Amile Jefferson’s Summer League roster, Tonje averaged 14.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1 assist per game. He shot 51% from the field and an impressive 45.2% from three-point range.
Tonje was set to compete against Milos Uzan for a two-way spot with the Maine Celtics when Boston returned for training camp. However, the Trail Blazers have moved quickly to add some cost-controlled firepower to their roster, while also giving Tonje the opportunity to continue his development in the G League.
Amile Jefferson Recently Praised John Tonje
Amile Jefferson praised Tonje’s work throughout Summer League during a media availability in Las Vegas.
“Everyone wanted to see the defense from John, and I think he showed that at a super high level,” Jefferson said. “I’ve talked the entire week about how proud I am with the effort he’s given, and most of that has come defensively.”
Jefferson continued.
“Obviously, he is a high-level shot maker at all three levels…and so you just want to see for his position: can you guard the ball? Can you pressure the ball? Be at your shifts? Can you be where you need to be? And I think he showed that at a high level.”
Tonje clearly impressed the Trail Blazers, too, as they moved quickly to secure his services.
John Tonje Has ‘Delusional’ Confidence
When speaking with the media on July 18, Tonje shared his confidence as he continues to push for a spot on an NBA roster.
“I’m pretty confident, maybe even delusional,” Tonje said. “I can’t lose that. I think I’m an NBA player, and that’s what I’m striving to get to…I like where I’m at right now, and just gonna keep working.”
Tonje’s comments came after he’d shone for Boston in its final Summer League game. The score-first guard ended the night with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal, shooting 66.7% from the field in the process. He was the clear-cut best Celtic on the floor throughout the game.
Portland’s main roster is already awash with scoring guards. Therefore, Tonje will face a battle to earn any legitimate playing time at the NBA level. Nevertheless, he’s heading into a new situation and will likely carry that confidence into the season.
Only time will tell whether he’s able to play his way into a role with Portland’s NBA rotation, though.
Celtics Lose John Tonje Following Stellar Summer League Showing