R.J. Luis Jr. is now the only thing the Boston Celtics have to show for Kristaps Porzingis. Boston offloaded the big man and his $30 million salary back in June, sending him to the Atlanta Hawks for Georges Niang and a second-round pick. On Tuesday, they re-routed Niang to the Utah Jazz along with two seconds of their own in exchange for Luis Jr., a rookie wing out of St. John’s.
According to New York Times basketball insider Adam Zagoria, Boston has had their eyes on Luis Jr. for a while.
The Celtics liked RJ Luis out of the draft and wanted him specifically in this deal, per league sources
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) August 5, 2025
The former @StJohnsBBall star is on a Two-Way https://t.co/JZNdZ5zBXa
Though the Celtics could’ve signed the young wing after he went undrafted, the path to a roster spot just wasn’t there. Signing with a team like the Jazz just made more sense at the time.
The arrival of R.J. Luis Jr. could spell the end of Miles Norris' time with the Celtics
Now, according to multiple reports, Luis Jr. will join the Cs and fill their final two-way slot, joining Miles Norris and rookie guard Max Shulga. With second-round center Amari Williams still unsigned, The Athletic’s Jay King believes that the addition of Luis Jr. could spell the end for Norris, who turned 26 last season.
“His presence alongside second-round picks Amari Williams and Max Shugla means the Celtics now have a roster crunch with two-way players,” King wrote Tuesday. “The addition of Luis could be an ominous sign for the returning Miles Norris, though a team source said his future has yet to be determined.”
With Norris and Luis Jr. playing the same position, it’d make sense if the Cs were only to keep one of them. Boston signed the former to a two-way deal earlier this year. He spent most of his time up in Maine with the team’s G-League affiliate.
Norris suited up in eight games for Maine, playing about 30 minutes in each outing. He averaged 14.5 points on 39.3% shooting from beyond the arc in the short slate. In 30 total G-League appearances, he shot even higher at 39.5%.
His numbers were impressive, but if the Celtics truly believe in Luis Jr.’s upside, then it may not matter, especially since he’s four years younger than Norris.
What are the Celtics getting in R.J. Luis Jr.?
The 22-year-old played a large role in a successful season for the Johnnies, leading the team to its first Big East Championship since 2000. He appeared in 35 games under former Celtics coach Rick Pitino last year, starting 32 of them. Luis Jr. averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 43.9% from the field and 33.6% from deep.
While Luis Jr. has shown a strong shot-creating ability, he still needs to improve as a shooter. He shot just 31.4% throughout his collegiate career, but did take a step in the right direction in his Junior season.
If he’s able to become more consistent, then there could be a serious role with the Celtics, or at least in the NBA, in his future, because he is a menace on defense. His six-foot-six-inch frame and six-foot-ten-inch wingspan, paired with his top defensive skillset, give him the potential to be an asset on that side of the floor. In college, he thrived defending the point of attack while also serving as a disruptor with 2.0 stocks per game.
He’s got the blueprint to be more than just “the guy the Celtics got by dumping Kristaps Porzingis’ salary.” In fact, it’s not difficult to imagine Luis Jr. playing a rotational role somewhere down the line. For now, all we can do is wait for preseason to roll around so we can all overhype him after one strong outing.