PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard John Tonje to a two-way contract, the team announced Saturday.
Under a two-way contract, which is non-guaranteed, Tonje will split his time between the Blazers and the Rip City Remix of the G League.
The 25-year-old was a second-round pick (53rd overall) by the Utah Jazz in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Wisconsin.
Tonje spent most of his rookie season in the G League, playing for the Salt Lake City Stars and Maine Celtics. He averaged just over 18 points over 29 combined games, shooting 44% from the field and 35% from distance.
The Omaha, Neb. native also appeared in six games with the Boston Celtics during the 2025-26 season, after being traded to the franchise from the Jazz in February.
He most recently played for the Celtics in this month’s NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Tonje started his collegiate career at Colorado State, before transferring to Missouri and later Wisconsin, where he was a consensus All-American selection as a senior after averaging nearly 20 points per game.
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Teams are allowed up to three two-way players on their roster at any given time. Players on two-way contracts can be active for up to 50 NBA games.
Guard Chris Youngblood and forward Jayson Kent were signed to two-way contracts towards the end of last season, and remain on the team’s official roster as of Saturday.
Tonje joins a crowded backcourt in Portland. The Blazers acquired two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies last month, and expect Damian Lillard make his highly-anticipated return to the court this fall.
Veteran Jrue Holiday and youngsters Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe also figure into Portland’s backcourt rotation.
The Blazers currently have 14 out of a maximum 15 players under standard contracts for the 2026-27 season.
They aim to improve on their best season in five years, going 42-40 in the 2025-26 regular season and reaching the 2026 NBA Playoffs before falling to the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
Portland’s offseason has been dominated by news of negotiations between elected officials and new ownership over potential renovations to the Moda Center, leaving the team’s future in the city uncertain at present.
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