Ron Harper Jr. returning to Boston on a 3-year deal

Daniel David June 27, 2026 3 minutes read

Ron Harper Jr. is staying in Boston. The Celtics are declining their $2.6 million team option on the guard-forward and replacing it with a three-year, $9 million contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal keeps a player who worked his way onto the roster the hard way and rewards that climb with real security.

Harper is 26 years old and grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. He went undrafted out of Rutgers in the 2022 NBA Draft. His path to a guaranteed contract in Boston ran through Toronto, Detroit and the G League, touching nearly every level of the professional game before landing him where he is now.

How Harper built his way to a Boston contract

Harper signed with the Toronto Raptors as an undrafted free agent in 2022 on a two-way deal. After that ended, he joined the Celtics affiliate for the 2024 Las Vegas Summer League. That performance earned him a spot with the Maine Celtics in the G League. A two-way stint with the Detroit Pistons followed before he returned to the Boston organization through a training camp deal last September.

He converted that camp deal into a two-way contract before the 2025-26 season began. In early April, about a week before the regular season ended, Boston promoted him to a standard two-year contract. The new three-year deal builds on that foundation.

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What Harper’s numbers say about his value

Harper appeared in 29 games for Boston last season, averaging 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 11 minutes per game. He shot 41.8% from the field and 35% from three-point range. His role was modest at the NBA level, growing more prominent over the final two months of the regular season.

At the G League level with Maine, the numbers told a different story. Harper averaged 25.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game on 47.4% shooting. He attempted 10.8 three-pointers per game and converted 4.2 of them. Those numbers placed him among the most productive players in the league.

What the deal means for Boston’s wing depth

The Celtics are looking to improve after a first-round playoff exit last season. Harper provides proven wing depth and a player the organization has developed firsthand through multiple contract levels. He is also part of a basketball family. His father is former NBA guard Ron Harper, and his younger brother Dylan Harper plays for the San Antonio Spurs.

The new deal converts a minimum-level presence into a longer commitment at above-minimum money, signaling that Boston sees Harper as more than a rotation filler heading into next season.

SOURCE: Yardbarker