The Boston Celtics have traded for an undrafted prospect, making a cost-cutting move.
Trading away Kristaps Porzingis for Georges Niang was a deal the Boston Celtics viewed as necessary to save money. But it was not a move that improved the team.
Now the Celtics have doubled-down on the move, ditching Niang’s expiring $8.2 million contract in a trade with the Utah Jazz.
Celtics fans did not take to Niang, a spiky opponent when he played against Boston, despite General Manager Brad Stevens praising him as a ‘winning player’.
In return for Georges Niang, the Celtics acquired undrafted rookie RJ Luis Jr from the Jazz, a player who has been on a unique journey himself.
RJ Luis Jr played in college for St. Johns, where he was mentored by former Boston Celtics head coach Rick Pitino.
Pitino led the Celtics between 1997 and 2001, overseeing three losing seasons before resigning midway through the fourth.
RJ Luis had big offers via the NIL program to remain in college, where he was voted the Big East Player of the Year in 2025, but was desperate to play in the NBA and launch his professional career.
However, a disastrous game in the NCAA tournament loss to Arkansas ended up potentially hurting his draft stock.
Luis Jr was shooting inefficiently, and after taking a pair of free-throws with just under five minutes remaining, Rick Pitino pulled him from the game and did not put him back in.
Pitino said after the game: “100 per cent the right decision, not playing RJ Luis in that game”.
St. John’s were only two points down when Luis Jr went out, and ended up losing by nine, in a major second round upset.
Speaking to Time magazine in June, Luis Jr said he had not spoken to Pitino since April, and considered that the benching might have impacted his NBA Draft prospects.
“I mean, it probably just brought up those ‘what ifs’. Not necessarily hurt, just trying to figure out, like, what did he do to get put in that position?”
Despite recording season-long numbers of 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in 2024-25, RJ Luis ended up going undrafted.
As he states, if there were questions over him, then his benching by Pitino in a critical March Madness game could have been the final straw.
The Utah Jazz scooped him up, and now he is set for a return back East, traded to the Boston Celtics as part of their Niang salary dump.
The Celtics’ move doubles down on their commitment to rebuild in 2025-26. RJ Luis Jr might just surprise a few people too. He has his own point to prove.
Without his NCAA tournament disaster, Luis Jr might have sneaked into the back end of the NBA Draft second round, or ended up with another team other than the Jazz.
But then he never would have made it to Boston. Now he has to seize his opportunity.
