Former St. John’s guard RJ Luis was acquired by the Boston Celtics on Aug. 6, and the team recently dropped some quick facts about their two-way rookie guard.
Luis was a consensus second-team All-American last season, averaging 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, two assists and 1.4 steals on 33.6% shooting from 3-point range as a junior. He was also named the Big East Player of the Year, becoming the third player in program history to win.
The Celtics acquired Luis from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Georges Niang and two future second-round picks in a move that reportedly reduced their payroll and luxury tax by $50 million. The team has cut approximately $286 million from its expenses this summer.
Here is one of the facts offered by team writer Taylor Snow:
Luis’ father, a Dominican-Ecuadorian forward, played 18 years of professional basketball internationally. The younger Luis branched out and tried several sports – baseball, karate, soccer, and tennis – before eventually following in his father’s footsteps by committing solely to basketball.
Luis signed a two-way contract with the Jazz on July 7 after going undrafted. He didn’t play in either the Salt Lake City Summer League or the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas due to left knee soreness sustained during the predraft process.
The 22-year-old will split his time next season between the NBA and the Maine Celtics in the G League. He is eligible to be active for up to 50 games in the NBA and will earn $636,435, which is equal to 50% of the minimum salary applicable to a player with zero years of service.
Luis will now have the chance to begin his career with the Celtics and develop within the organization. He is one of three players on a two-way contract, along with Amari Williams and Max Shulga.