Former Wisconsin basketball star John Tonje signs new two-way contract
Former Wisconsin star John Tonje turned a strong NBA Summer League showing into another two-way contract and fresh opportunity.
John Tonje’s professional basketball journey has already included three NBA organizations, two G League affiliates and no guarantees.
But the former Wisconsin men’s basketball star keeps creating opportunities for himself.
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed Tonje to a two-way contract, giving him another chance to establish himself at the NBA level after a strong showing with the Boston Celtics during NBA Summer League. He fills Portland’s final two-way roster spot.
For Wisconsin fans, the way Tonje earned this opportunity should feel familiar.
His basketball journey has rarely followed the most direct path. Tonje spent five seasons between Colorado State and Missouri before transferring to Wisconsin as a sixth-year senior, with relatively modest expectations surrounding his addition.
In one season under Greg Gard, Tonje developed into a consensus second-team All-American, a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection and one of the most prolific single-season scorers in Wisconsin history.
Tonje averaged 19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for the Badgers while shooting 38.8% from three and 90.9% from the free-throw line. The 6-foot-5 guard’s 724 points were the second-most in a season at Wisconsin, behind only Frank Kaminsky (732), while his 231 made free throws established a new program record.
That breakout season helped him become the No. 53 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, where the Utah Jazz selected Tonje in the second round.
His rookie season was spent primarily in the G League before Utah traded him to the Boston Celtics. Tonje later appeared in six NBA games for the Celtics, averaging 2.5 points in seven minutes per contest, while continuing to show his scoring ability at the developmental level.
Across his G League appearances, Tonje averaged 18.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He also delivered a 42-point performance for Maine that offered a reminder of the microwave scoring ability Wisconsin fans watched throughout his lone season in Madison.
Tonje entered Summer League without a guaranteed contract waiting for him. He responded by averaging 14.8 points over five games while shooting 45.2% from three-point range and showing growth defensively.
Boston Summer League coach Amile Jefferson publicly praised Tonje’s development and said he believed the former Badger was an NBA player.
“He’s one of the guys I’m most proud of because he wants to make it,” Jefferson said. “And when a guy wants to make it, and when a guy wants to be in the NBA, that’s how you look. If somebody wants to know how hard it is to be in the NBA — you can all see how good he is. He’s given himself a really good chance. He is definitely an NBA player.”
That performance ultimately helped Tonje earn his next opportunity, even if it came somewhere other than Boston.
“Everyone wanted to see the defense from John, and I think he showed that at a super high level,” Jefferson said. “I am proud of the effort he’s given. He is a high-level shot-maker at all three levels. He can get to the rim, he can shoot the mid-range, and he can catch and shoot the three and off the dribble.
“You just want to see, for his position, can you guard the ball? Can you pressure the ball? Can you be in your shifts? Can you be where you need to be? And I think he showed that he can do that at a high level.”
A two-way deal does not guarantee Tonje a permanent NBA role. Tonje will still need to prove himself with Portland and the Rip City Remix while competing for minutes on a young and developing roster.
But Tonje has spent most of his basketball career proving that the first evaluation does not have to be the final one.
Wisconsin gave him the platform to change the trajectory of his career. Since exhausting his eligibility, Tonje has continued to do what made his season with the Badgers so memorable: staying ready, scoring when called upon, and making it difficult for NBA teams to overlook him.
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