It’s officially the All-Star break in the NBA, and the Celtics won’t be back in action again until Thursday night. Fans will get to watch Jaylen Brown in the All-Star Game on Sunday, but they’ll also get to see another Celtic in action on Friday night, as Ron Harper Jr. of the Maine Celtics will be playing in the Rising Stars Games.
Harper Jr. is the son of 5-time NBA champ, Ron Harper Sr., and the brother of Dylan Harper, the number two overall pick in the 2025 draft by the Spurs, who will also be playing in the Rising Stars Games for the rookie team.
He was signed to a two-way contract in the offseason and has been thriving for the Maine Celtics, averaging 25.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 18 games, shooting 38.7% on 10.8 three-point attempts per night.
Recently, RHJ has even been making appearances for the Boston Celtics, giving them solid rotation minutes and even getting a start against the Rockets in a game where he outplayed Kevin Durant in an upset win.
Ron Harper Jr. a candidate for Celtics roster spot
After Harper Jr.’s recent stretch of strong play and the Celtics’ string of salary-dumping trades ahead of the deadline, there’s an open roster spot, and when enough time has gone by for the Celtics to convert Harper’s two-way contract without the new pro-rated salary, which won’t put the team back over the luxury tax, they should do so.
Boston should absolutely do that, as they have already done with Amari Williams. They have another roster spot, and locking up a promising, young three-and-D wing for multiple years on a minimum contract is a no-brainer.
The Celtics got rid of three players at the deadline: Josh Minott, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Chris Boucher, who weren’t in the rotation and had no clear future with the team. By shedding those contracts without bringing back players on NBA contracts, the Cs got under the tax and opened up roster spots.
Giving one of those spots to a “rising star” in Harper Jr. would be a great use of the spot and a worthy bet on the future. Even if he can develop into a consistent role player at the end of the bench, that would be great value for the team and a great use of resources.
Hopefully, we get to watch him thrive in the national spotlight on Friday night, as he can showcase his talents against the likes of young stars like his brother, Kon Knueppel, Reed Sheppard, VJ Edgecombe, and others. A big night on that stage for RHJ could make an eventual full-time contract with the Celtics an even more obvious move.