LAS VEGAS — Some members of the Celtics’ Summer League team played for Boston last season.
Others are on summer tryouts, hoping to impress the Celtics brass enough to earn a permanent spot.
Only one player is part of both of those groups.
John Tonje, a second-year shooting guard, spent the final two months of his rookie season with the Celtics after arriving in the trade-deadline deal that sent Chris Boucher to Utah. He appeared in 12 games for the G League Maine Celtics and another six for the big club, including an extended 30-minute cameo in Boston’s regular-season finale.
Earlier this offseason, Tonje’s two-way contract expired. Since then, the 25-year-old has received only an invitation to join Boston’s Summer League squad, making him one of the hundreds of unsigned hopefuls competing in the annual young player showcase.
“I know that’s kind of in the back of my mind,” Tonje said last weekend, referring to his contract status. “But I’m really just focused on getting better each day. I love to improve, and I’m blessed to be here, honestly.”
That improvement has shown up on the court in Las Vegas.
Tonje opened his Summer League campaign by dropping 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting with five rebounds and three steals in an overtime win over Toronto. Two days later, he scored 17 on 6-of-10 and grabbed five boards in a victory over Charlotte, with the Celtics outscoring the Hornets by 14 points with him on the floor.
Game 3 was a flop for Tonje (and most other Celtics); he went 2-for-8, scored five points and was a minus-26 in a 102-90 loss to Atlanta. But he responded with another strong outing Wednesday against Sacramento, scoring 18 on 6-of-10 shooting and sinking three late free throws to help Boston secure an 86-78 W.
Tonje is the only Celtics player to start all four games so far in Vegas. In the three wins, he’s averaged 18.3 points while shooting 52.9% from the field (18-for-34) and 55.0% from 3-point range (11-for-20). He’s also totaled six steals, second-most on the team behind rookie Dillon Mitchell’s eight.
Celtics Summer League head coach Amile Jefferson said Tonje has given the team exactly what it wants to see out of a tryout player. And Jefferson knows well how difficult that position can be, having participated in Summer League while unsigned during his own playing career.
“He’s become a leader. We can lean on him,” Jefferson said after Wednesday’s game. “The thing you want as a coach is dependability. You want guys that you know what you’re going to get from them, and for me, that’s exactly what he’s been. And then the one thing that I just want to praise him on is how hard he’s playing.
“This dude, you know, we’re trying to make people’s dreams come true and help them in their journey, and he’s one of the guys I’m most proud of, because he wants to make it. And when a guy wants to make it, and when a guy wants to be in the NBA, that’s how you look. Like, if somebody wants to know how hard it is to be in the NBA, you go see how good he is. And he’s given himself a really good chance. I think he is definitely an NBA player, and when he plays that hard, it just makes everybody on the team better.”
The Celtics currently have one open spot on their 15-man roster and two available two-way slots. Mitchell, a second-round draft pick who has yet to sign, likely will fill one of those three. Tonje has put himself in contention for one of the remaining vacancies, as has undrafted rookie point guard Milos Uzan.
“I’m really proud of his growth and the way he attacked this Summer League,” Jefferson said.