The Boston Celtics wrapped up their preseason action on Wednesday night with a 110-108 victory over the Toronto Raptors. The next time they take the court, the games will officially count, and it’s safe to say excitement for the new season is high.
While the C’s have done the majority of their offseason work already, there are still a few items they need to cross off before taking the court for their season-opener next week. Ahead of their preseason finale, one of those moves was made, as the team waived RJ Luis Jr., who was acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz earlier this offseason.
With Luis gone, that opened a roster spot up for the Celtics to use. On Thursday, reports emerged suggesting that Ron Harper Jr. won that spot, as the team signed him to a two-way contract ahead of the new season.
“The Boston Celtics are signing Ron Harper Jr. to a two-way NBA contract, agent Drew Gross of WME Basketball tells ESPN,” Shams Charania of ESPN reported in a post on X. “Harper earns Celtics roster spot and enters a fourth NBA season after having strong preseason.”
Harper spent four games with the Maine Celtics last season, averaging 22.8 points per game during his brief stint with the team. He ended up signing a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons in January, before finding his way back to Boston in September.
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During his time on the floor during the preseason, Harper shined, averaging 4.3 points per game while shooting 42.9% from behind the arc in only 10.6 minutes per game. His solid showing has earned him a longer look for the coaching staff to begin the season.
Boston will now turn its attention to its regular-season opener, which will see it square off against the Philadelphia 76ers. Tip-off for this game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 22, and you can bet the C’s will be anxious to hand their longtime rival a loss to begin the new year.