The New Jersey native is set to get a new deal from the C's.
Reports came out on Saturday that Boston Celtics guard Ron Harper Jr. is set to sign a new three-year deal worth $9 million.
Shams Charania of ESPN says that the Celtics are declining Harper's $2.6 million team option, which gives them the chance to sign Harper to a longer deal.
It's a move that will help solidify the Boston bench for 2026-27 and beyond.
Here's more of what you need to know:
About Ron Harper Jr.
The son of former Chicago Bulls guard Ron Harper Sr., Harper Jr. is a four-year veteran of the Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons and Celtics. He had played in just 11 games in three seasons prior to getting to Boston, but he found himself a bigger role with the Celtics, playing in 29 games and starting three of them in 2025-26. He averaged 4.2 ppg and 1.7 rebounds. At 6-foot-5, he should get more opportunities to help in the C's backcourt, potentially alleviating stress on Payton Pritchard and Derrick White.
Harper also saw action in six of the seven playoff games for the C's this year. He averaged 1.8 ppg in 4.2 minutes of action as Boston lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games in the first round.
What remains to be seen
It's still unclear if the Celtics will ultimately trade Jaylen Brown, but if he is moved, that will have an affect on Harper. If Boston trades Brown for an interior player, then Harper will have more chances to see time on the outside. If Brown stays, the perimeter will remain crowded for him.
Boston Celtics forward Ron Harper Jr (13) dribbles down the court during the second half against the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. Paul Rutherford-Imagn ImagesAlso in the news for the Celtics
--NBA's free agency period kicks off on June 30, which means we'll start to get a better picture of the rest of the roster as well. How the Celtics handle free agency will also be a bi-product of how they handle things with Brown. He's on a supermax contract, which impacts how the Celtics can handle the roster. If he's gone, more opportunities likely open up.
--It's time for the Vegas Summer League, where the Celtics learned and revealed some details on Friday.
According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, assistant coach Amile Jefferson will coach the Celtics rookies and youngsters in the summer league, which is a key developmental time for the organization's young and new players. The league begins play on July 9, while the Celtics have their first of our games on July 10. Each game will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or Amazon Prime.
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