Ron Harper Jr. has gone from chasing chances to finally having one locked in.
The Celtics gave him a four-year, $14 million extension this offseason, and for the first time, he has real long-term security. That matters for a player who has spent years bouncing through different stops, first appearing in 11 games between Toronto and the Pistons before working his way up from a two-way deal in Boston to a standard contract.
Last season, Harper averaged 11 minutes across 29 games with the Celtics, putting up 4.2 points and 0.8 assists per game. Boston’s run to the playoffs came with Jayson Tatum sidelined early by injury, and Jaylen Brown helping carry the load.
For Harper, though, the appeal goes beyond minutes and numbers. It’s the setting, the expectations and the chance to stick with a franchise he clearly respects.
“It felt really rewarding,” Harper said via NBA.com. “This is a team that I have a lot of respect for, a team that I want to play for for a long time. So, for it to happen in a city like this, playing for a team like the Boston Celtics, I’m honored, and I’m ready to put the work in.”
The 26-year-old, son of multi-time NBA Champion Ron Harper, built his name first with the Maine Celtics, where he emerged as one of the G-League’s top players before earning his shot in Boston. Once he got there, he flashed enough to keep the door open, including a 22-point game against the Spurs in March and a 27-point outburst against the Magic on his birthday.
He also had a memorable playoff moment. In Game 7 of the first-round series against the 76ers, Harper was inserted into the starting lineup. He only logged a few minutes, but he still came away with multiple steals and a few positives in a loss.
Now the challenge is bigger than ever, and Harper knows it. His future with the Celtics is secured, and he sees a path toward becoming more than just a depth piece.
“I feel like after that game (27 against Magic) where I started - I played all those minutes, and I played well - I felt like after that point, I could be a real contributor to this team and a part of bringing this team back to a championship,” Harper said. “So that’s something I look forward to doing next year.”
In Other News...
Derrick White Faces One Big Celtics Question Entering This Season
Derrick Whites value to Boston has never been in doubt, but last season did raise a fair question about his offensive rhythm. His shooting efficiency slipped from where it had been in previous years, both from deep and inside the arc, even as his defense remained a steady force for the Celtics. For a player whose game depends so much on spacing, timing and confidence, that kind of dip stands out.
The good news for Boston is that White is unlikely to face the same exact setup again. Jayson Tatums return should reshape the floor in a way that gives White cleaner looks and more room to operate, which matters for a guard who has built much of his appeal on making the right play and punishing defenses when they lose track of him. The question entering this season is whether those chances are enough to help him recapture the efficiency that made him such a valuable two-way piece in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Jrue Holidays Next Move Just Got Much Less Appealing For Celtics Fans
Jrue Holidays future took a quieter turn on Tuesday, and that is not the kind of update Celtics fans were hoping to see. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Portland is not currently discussing a buyout with Holiday, which changes the tone around a player who had already started to feel like a possible late-summer domino.
Holiday is expected to remain with the Trail Blazers for now, which takes a Philadelphia reunion off the immediate table and leaves his next move tied to Portlands plans. He still has two years left on his contract, including a player option for the 2027-28 season, so any path away from the Blazers looks much less straightforward than it once did. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Mazzulla Still Faces One Celtics Question That Wont Go Away
Joe Mazzulla has already stacked up a rsum most coaches would trade a decade to build, with the NBAs highest winning percentage and a title in 2024 anchoring his case. Even so, the Celtics recent playoff history has kept one conversation alive around the franchise: for all the regular-season success, Boston has not been able to consistently turn that into deep spring runs, and a slip in three-point shooting has played a part in the wrong outcomes.
Mazzullas standing in Boston still looks strong for now, but the longer the Celtics fall short of the standard they set with that championship team, the louder the long-view questions become. If the performance trend does not change, his job security could come into focus after the 2026-27 season, even though nothing official has been decided and the organization is not there yet. [Read more 🡒]