In 2025, RJ Luis Jr. was the Big East Player of the Year. He received offers worth seven figures from schools trying to convince him to transfer there from St. John's. Instead, he decided it was time to pursue his NBA dream.
Unfortunately for the six-foot-seven wing, he went undrafted. That led him to a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz. It's also why he now faces an uphill battle -- more on that later. Before ever suiting up for them, they struck a deal with the Boston Celtics that sent Georges Niang to Salt Lake City and brought Luis back to New England.
The latter, a former star at UMass Amherst, now had a chance to play professionally in the region where he first made a name for himself at the collegiate level.
However, in the hours leading up to tip-off of Boston's preseason finale, the Celtics waived him. Ron Harper Jr. had won the battle for the team's last two-way roster spot. Luis, the first player from Ecuador to reach the NBA, returned to the organization on an Exhibit 10 contract.
Unfortunately for the Miami, Florida, native, after suffering a groin injury that required surgery, the club released him. He never played in an NBA or G League regular-season contest. Now, he's aiming to return to the NCAA.
RJ Luis Jr. signs with LSU
The former collegiate star has committed to play for head coach Will Wade, per CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. However, he faces an uphill battle in his attempt to play in Baton Rouge.
Due to signing a two-way NBA contract, Luis is not eligible to play collegiate basketball. Individuals like James Nnaji, the 31st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and Dink Pate, who impressed in the G League, were allowed to return to the NCAA. The reason was that they opted not to sign a two-way deal.
Luis will argue that he never participated in an NBA regular-season game -- he played in three exhibition contests with the Celtics -- and that he is still within his five-year window of when he graduated high school.
However, recent history is not on his side. In February, Charles Bediako made just five appearances with the University of Alabama before being deemed ineligible due to signing a two-way contract.
Luis was Rick Pitino's leading scorer in his final collegiate campaign. He averaged 18.2 points per game. He also swiped 1.4 steals per tilt, and his combination of size, length, and athleticism, including a six-foot-10.5-inch wingspan, lends itself to his ability to be a defensive menace.
If the Tigers can get him in uniform, that would be a huge coup. However, since he signed a two-way deal, Luis may have to chart a different path forward.
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