Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) dribbles during the second half of a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Celtics Almost Signed Guard Before Jazz Trade

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 6:32 PM ET

Earlier this month, the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics agreed to a trade that sent over undrafted free agent guard RJ Luis Jr. in exchange for Georges Niang and two future second-round picks in 2027 and 2031.

Ultimately, it was a move that allowed the Celtics to shed some additional salary from the books in an already busy offseason of doing so heading into next season, while the Jazz were able to bring in a pair of day two picks and a former fan favorite in the process.

However, from the Celtics' side of the deal in their acquisition of Luis Jr., it was reportedly far from the first time they tried to get the St. John's product on their roster.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Luis Jr. was deciding between the Celtics and the Jazz when signing his initial undrafted free agent contract, and he would eventually choose Utah to sign on a two-way deal.

Just a month after bringing him on the roster, though, the Jazz decided to ship him off to Boston. Clearly not Luis's first choice, but he finds his way to the team that was number two on the list after going undrafted back in June, so a solid fallback, nonetheless.

Luis Jr. was a three-year player who spent time at both UMass and St. John's, having a major breakout during his 2024-25 campaign en route to becoming a consensus Second Team All-American and All-Big East First Team selection.

He played in 35 total games to average 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 43.9% from the field and 33.9% from three; one of the more appealing names to watch across last college season, but still didn't hear his name called among the 59 picks of this summer's draft.

And while he won't be suiting up in Utah as once thought, he'll get that opportunity in Boston, likely splitting time between the Celtics and their G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, next to their other two-way signees Max Shulga and Amari Williams.