What Blazers' telling commitment to former Celtics guard means for his NBA future

Friday, the Portland Trail Blazers poached John Tonje from the Boston Celtics. The latter franchise could have secured his services with more than a Summer League invitation after the 2025-26 campaign concluded. They had their reasons and are likely justified in not doing so.

The unfortunate reality for them is that it cost them a talented young scorer. An individual who had a great chance of returning to Boston despite the crowded battle for a two-way spot with the Celtics.

Seeing Tonje's ability to fill an NBA role as a microwave scorer who can positively contribute off the bench, the Trail Blazers inked him to a two-way deal. Not only that, but according to Brian Robb of MassLive, they signed him to a multi-year contract.

Their two-way pact with the former Wisconsin star gives him an added layer of security. That stability is valuable. It signals how they view a player they want in their infrastructure for more than just a test run.

What John Tonje showed the Trail Blazers at Summer League

What the six-foot-four guard demonstrated in Sin City was likely the driving force that compelled Portland to extend him a contract offer.

In that showcase in the desert, the 25-year-old reinforced that he's a gifted shooter. Beyond that, he can get to the cup. When he does, he puts points on the board.

Along with his scoring prowess, Tohnje's growth on defense was on display. It's the development he was most proud of from his time with the Celtics in Las Vegas.

It's a sentiment endorsed by Tonje's bench boss at Summer League, Amile Jefferson [who has the makings of a future NBA head coach].

"Everyone wanted to see the defense from John, and I think he showed that at a super high level," voiced Jefferson after Boston's final game at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"Obviously, he is a high-level shot maker at all three levels," the former Duke captain noted about what the Nebraska native brings to the table offensively. "And so you just want to see for his position: can you guard the ball? Can you pressure the ball? Can you be at your shifts? Can you be where you need to be? And I think he showed that at a high level."

John Tonje's intangibles lead to two-way deal with Trail Blazers

The now second-year guard gets out of bed as a gifted scorer. If he overly relied on that, he wouldn't have an NBA facility to go to when he wakes up.

Instead, his work ethic and dedication earned rave reviews from Jefferson at Summer League. There, Tonje became a leader and a stellar example for his teammates.

"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," said Jefferson. "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."

That's the root of his growth on defense. It's why he is getting the most out of his scoring abilities. It's likely something Portland took note of while doing due diligence on whether to sign him. It probably helped persuade the organization's decision-makers to give him a multi-year deal.

And when an individual works as hard as Tonje, it creates unflappable confidence.

"I'm pretty confident, maybe even delusional. I can't lose that. I think I'm an NBA player, and that's what I'm striving to get to," he expressed at the end of his time in Las Vegas. "I like where I'm at right now, and just gonna keep working."

That approach has taken him to Portland. And while the Trail Blazers could be on the move, the multi-year deal they gave Tonje suggests that no matter what happens, they'd like the former Celtics guard to be a part of their future.

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