Latest news with #RJLuisJr.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Who is RJ Luis Jr., and why did the Boston Celtics trade for him?
Who is RJ Luis Jr., and why did the Boston Celtics trade for him? The Celtics elected to send vet reserve forward Georges Niang into the Utah Jazz cap space along with a pair of second round draft picks last week, taking back only the undrafted two way wing in the deal in order to make it the minimum trade requirements in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. In so doing, the front office also created a bit of a log jam with their own two way players, eventually deciding to cut ties with more veteran two way forward Miles Norris with No. 57 2025 draft pick Max Shulga also signed to a two way deal and No. 46 2025 draft pick Amari Williams yet to sign any deal with Boston. The folks behind the "NESN" YouTube channel put together a clip from their "Hold My Banner" podcast that takes a closer look at the trade for Luis Jr. Check it out below! Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube:
USA Today
06-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Best of new Boston Celtics wing RJ Luis Jr. in 2024-25
What should we expect from new Boston Celtics two way player RJ Luis Jr.? The newest addition to the Celtics roster joined the team as the return for vet forward Georges Niang when Boston's front office sent two second round draft picks to the Utah Jazz to use their cap space to absorb Niang's contract, Luis' inclusion making the trade legal in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). A 22-year-old, 6-foot-7 wing who last played for St. John's at the NCAA level, Luis went undrafted in 2025, and won Big East Player of the Year in his final collegiate season. In it, he put up 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 43.9% from the floor overall, 33.6% from 3, and 74.7% from the free throw line. The man behind the "Tomasz Kordylewski (Timi)" YouTube channel put together a clip of his highlights last season so we can get to know his game better. Check it out below! Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube:
USA Today
05-08-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Shams: Celtics send Georges Niang, seconds to Utah Jazz for RJ Luis Jr., cap savings
The Boston Celtics have traded backup forward Georges Niang and two second round picks to the Utah Jazz for rookie RJ Luis Jr., per recent reporting from ESPN's Shams Charania. The move now has Boston roughly $1.7 million above the first apron and $9.4 million above the luxury tax line, per The Third Apron's Yossi Gozlan, and have created a $8.2 million trade exception from the move as well. Per Gozlan, the trade shrinks the Celtics' payroll and luxury tax by a total of $50 million, with Boston having saved $286 million in tax and payroll this offseason with the Niang deal plus trading away Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, and cutting JD Davison. The trade sets up Boston to be able to add to their team with the signing of former Toronto Raptors big man Chris Boucher without dipping back above the second apron, and could put them in range of opening up the full midlevel exception if they can get under the first apron. As for the incoming Luis Jr., a 22-year-old, 6-foot-7 wing signed as a two way player with the Jazz who went unselected in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Celtics get a St. John's alum who won Big East Player of the Year in 2025. He put up 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game last season while shooting 43.9% from the field, 33.6% from deep, and 74.7% from the line The move will fill Boston's only open two way slot, with Max Shulga and Amari Williams, the Celtics' Nos. 46 and 57 picks in the draft this summer, taking the other two. Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube:
New York Post
25-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Ex-St. John's star RJ Luis on cusp of NBA draft possibilities he once couldn't have imagined
Four years ago, RJ Luis Jr. couldn't have imagined this. Forget playing in the NBA. Even big-time college basketball was far from a given. Advertisement Luis held just two Division I scholarship offers, from Northeastern and Lamar University. He didn't want to settle, so the Miami native opted to do a prep year at Mount Zion Prep in Maryland. That's when everything changed. 'Once I went to prep school, I kind of made that jump and started to figure out myself and my work ethic,' he recalled in a phone interview with The Post. 'Everything just clicked. Since then, it's been a gradual [climb], improving and getting better as a player. Advertisement 'I wouldn't change it. The stuff that we go through in life is what makes us. It's just super cool to see all my hard work paying off.' The former St. John's star is on the cusp of a professional career, a projected second-round pick in this week's NBA Draft. He worked out for 18 teams and took part in the scouting combine in Chicago. The past few months have been a whirlwind for the 6-foot-7 wing. Advertisement 3 RJ Luis Jr. handles the ball during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine on May 15, 2025 NBAE via Getty Images In March, he became the first Johnnie to be named the Big East Player of the Year since Walter Berry in 1986. He led St. John's to its first Big East Tournament title since 2000 as the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Afterward, he called it the best week of his life. But the following weekend, second-seeded St. John's was upset by Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and Luis struggled through a nightmarish 3-for-17 shooting performance. Advertisement He was benched over the final 4:56 by coach Rick Pitino. 3 RJ Luis Jr. shoots a three point basket during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine on May 14, 2025 at Wintrust Arena. NBAE via Getty Images Luis declared for the NBA Draft and entered the transfer portal a week after that disappointment. There was some thought he could return to school — top transfers were getting upward of $3 million — but Luis opted to stick with his initial plan of going pro. 'The money in the NBA is night and day compared to college. It wasn't a hard decision,' Luis said. 'My goal was to do the same thing at St. John's my sophomore year, but injuries held me back. I think I had an amazing year this year. [This was] ultimately the end goal, to play in the NBA and stick there.' Luis has been a much-debated prospect in this draft. Teams like his athleticism, versatility and scoring ability. But his 3-point shot and decision-making need work. He will have the ball in his hands less frequently on the next level. 3 St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. reacts after hitting a 3-point shot during the team's opening NCAA Tournament game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 'It's a tough thing, but he's gotta go from a star on his team to a role player,' an NBA scout familiar with Luis said. 'Tough transition, so he's probably going to have to get some G-League reps, and go from there. Be a consistent shooter. Advertisement 'Is he one of the best 75 draft prospects in this draft and is he one of the best 500 players in the world, where he should be on some kind of NBA contract?' Said a second scout: 'He's going to have to make some modifications to his game. He's a two-way guy for sure, because he can score the ball. But he has to learn to score the ball on my terms, as opposed to his.' Luis has been somewhat of a target since that Arkansas loss. He was criticized for that performance and later questioned for not cashing in on his last year of college eligibility. He's heard the doubters. Advertisement 'One hundred percent, but that's how life is. You're always going to have people rooting against you,' Luis said. 'I'm fully positive. I know the amount of work I put in.' Luis has come a long way from those two Division I scholarship offers. His first season at St. John's was marred by injuries, a fractured left hand and nagging shin splints. He wasn't able to do much basketball-wise last summer following surgery on each shin, but still had a sensational junior season, leading the Johnnies to their best season in 25 years. If he is selected, he would become St. John's first player to hear his name called since Sir'Dominic Pointer (53rd overall by the Cavaliers) in 2015. 'It would be the same thing as winning the regular-season championship and Big East Tournament and getting a bid to the [NCAA] Tournament,' he said. 'To be able to leave my little bit of a legacy at St. John's, just make that fan base proud.'
New York Post
25-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
RJ Luis Jr. makes his NBA intentions clear after stunning St. John's transfer
Access the St. John's beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting member-only features, including real-time texting with Zach Braziller about the inside buzz on St. John's. TRY IT NOW RJ Luis Jr.'s name is currently in the transfer portal and the NBA draft, but the former St. John's star made it clear Thursday that one of those is a clear preference over the other. 'I'm fully into the draft right now,' Luis said before accepting the Lt. Frank J. Haggerty Metropolitan Player of the Year Award, as decided by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. 'The transfer portal's kind of like a backup plan. Just weighing my options in case I don't like anything that's going on as far as the draft. Definitely fully focusing on the draft right now.' Advertisement Currently, Luis has a 'Do Not Contact' attached to his name in the portal. He's working out in Florida with the full intention of going to the draft combine and keeping his name in the draft, with shooting being a heavy focus. 5 RJ Luis Jr. talks with reporters at the MBWA All-Met Haggerty Awards on April 24. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post 5 RJ Luis Jr. attempts a shot during the St. John's game against Omaha on March 20. Charles Wenzelberg Advertisement 'Just staying square,' said Luis, who shot 33.6 percent from 3-point range last season. 'Lot of balance, lot of repetitions. Trying to get a quicker release, obviously shoot the ball on motion. And obviously, the line is a little further back [in the NBA], so just getting used to that.' Luis had a breakout junior season, leading the Johnnies to the Big East Championship and a No. 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament while averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. The 6-foot-7 wing's season ended in ignominious fashion, however, as he was benched down the stretch of a second-round upset loss to No. 10 seed Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament. Advertisement 5 Zuby Ejiofor and RJ Luis Jr. are pictured April 24. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post He said Thursday that the way the season ended had no bearing on his decision to leave St. John's. 'It was fully determined on entering my name in the draft this year after the incredible season that I had,' Luis said. 'That was always the main goal. I feel like the entire coaching staff was also on board with that decision. It was mutual.' Asked whether he'd fully digested that game, Luis described himself as 'past that now.' Advertisement 'I feel like everything is in the past,' he said. 'I have a great relationship with the coaches still. Just continue to put the work in.' 5 Zuby Ejiofor attempts a shot during the St. John's game against Arkansas on March 22. Charles Wenzelberg That he flew back up to New York to accept the award, representing St. John's while doing so, is an obvious sign that Luis still has a strong relationship with the university. Teammate Zuby Ejiofor, who will be back with the Johnnies next season as a senior, was there with Luis. 'It's one of many awards that RJ Luis has gotten this season,' Ejiofor said. 'The man, he's more than deserving of this award, he put in a lot of work. Just to see him overcoming adversity time and time again, to have the season that he did this past season, myself and everybody can say we wouldn't have had the season we had without RJ Luis. For him to get this award, the amount of time he put in, really supportive of him.' Ejiofor will return to a largely overhauled roster, with a transfer portal class compiled by coach Rick Pitino that includes Bryce Hopkins, Ian Jackson, Joson Sanon, Oziyah Sellers and Dillon Mitchell. The Johnnies even added reigning Big Sky MVP Dylan Darling on Thursday. 5 Zuby Ejiofor is pictured during the MBWA All-Met Haggerty Awards on April 24. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post Advertisement 'Oziyah, he's probably one of the best 3-point shooters in the country in my opinion,' Ejiofor said. 'He just came in, he did the workout, he just blew the numbers. Dillon Mitchell, really athletic guy. Guy that can get into transition. Really special. Special player. Bryce Hopkins, we already know what he brings to the table, being a first-team All-[Big East]. He worked out as well, he was doing fine. Joson, another great shooter. 'So we have a lot of great shooters. That was the main focal point for this season. I'm really excited for how they're gonna come to the team and contribute and build on the things we did last year.'
