# Ron Harper Jr.
**Ron Harper Jr.** (born 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the [Boston Celtics](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-celtics) of the NBA. A 6-foot-5, 233-pound guard-forward, he went undrafted in 2022 out of Rutgers and reached the NBA through the G League and two-way contracts, signing a three-year, $9 million contract with Boston in July 2026.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1631199/ron-harper-jr) • [2](https://cdn-uat.nba.com/news/celtics-sign-ron-harper-jr-to-extension)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2000, USA; 6'5" (1.96 m), 233 lb (106 kg)[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1631199/ron-harper-jr) |
| College | Rutgers; senior season of 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 40% three-point shooting, All-Big Ten second team[3](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ron-harper-jr) |
| Draft | Undrafted in 2022; NBA debut October 31, 2022[2](https://cdn-uat.nba.com/news/celtics-sign-ron-harper-jr-to-extension) • [4](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/harpero02.html) |
| G League career | 56 regular season games (49 starts) with Raptors 905, Maine, and Motor City, averaging 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals in 32.6 minutes[5](https://gleague.nba.com/news/celtics-convert-ron-harper-jr-to-two-way-contract) |
| NBA breakthrough | First career start February 2026: career-high 11 points and 9 rebounds in a 114-93 win over Houston[6](https://maine.gleague.nba.com/news/ron-harper-jr-first-nba-career-start) |
| Current contract | Three years, $9 million with Boston, reported June 27, 2026 and signed July 6[2](https://cdn-uat.nba.com/news/celtics-sign-ron-harper-jr-to-extension) |
| Family | Son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper; older brother of Spurs guard Dylan Harper[2](https://cdn-uat.nba.com/news/celtics-sign-ron-harper-jr-to-extension) |
## Early life and college
Harper attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey, where he was considered a fringe top-250 prospect in the class of 2018.[3](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ron-harper-jr) • [4](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/harpero02.html) He played college basketball at Rutgers under head coach Steve Pikiell, and after the 2020-21 season he entered the [NBA draft](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-draft) process before announcing he would return for 2021-22.[7](https://scarletknights.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/ron-harper-jr/10593)
As a senior he averaged 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 34.3 minutes per game while shooting 40% from three-point range, earning All-Big Ten second team honors.[3](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ron-harper-jr) At the 2022 NBA Draft Combine he measured 6'5.5" in shoes with a 240-pound frame and a 7'1.25" wingspan.[3](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ron-harper-jr) According to his NBA.com draft profile, he became a dependable two-way defender, and in a single season he managed at least 10 points within every one of the 11 play types that Synergy Sports records, a feat few college players had achieved in recent memory.[3](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ron-harper-jr) He was the last Rutgers men's basketball player named an All-American before Dylan Harper and [Ace Bailey](https://www.edgepedia.org/ace-bailey-basketball) in 2025.[8](https://scarletknights.com/documents/download/2026/2/12/2025_26_RutgersMBB_GameNotes_Maryland.pdf)
## G League career
Despite his college production, Harper went undrafted in 2022 and signed with the [Toronto Raptors](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-raptors) organization, spending his first three professional seasons on two-way contracts.[2](https://cdn-uat.nba.com/news/celtics-sign-ron-harper-jr-to-extension) He played 10 games for Toronto, recording a personal-high 10 points and four rebounds in a 2023 matchup with [Milwaukee](https://www.edgepedia.org/milwaukee).[9](https://cdn-gleague.nba.com/sites/1612709915/2025/01/Game-24-MNE-vs-RAP-011025.pdf)
Across three G League seasons with [Raptors 905](https://www.edgepedia.org/raptors-905) (2022-24), Maine (2024-25), and Motor City (2024-25), he appeared in 56 regular season games, 49 of them starts, averaging 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals in 32.6 minutes per game.[5](https://gleague.nba.com/news/celtics-convert-ron-harper-jr-to-two-way-contract) With Detroit's affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, he played 23 games and averaged 17.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 38.3% from deep on 8.7 three-point attempts per game.[10](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar-prac-20251017-persistence-pays-off-ron-harper-jr-earns-two-way-contract) The Pistons waived him on July 24, 2025.[11](https://www.nba.com/gamenotes/pistons.pdf)
## Boston Celtics
Harper competed with Boston in the 2024 [NBA Summer League](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-summer-league), averaging 6.8 points in four games.[9](https://cdn-gleague.nba.com/sites/1612709915/2025/01/Game-24-MNE-vs-RAP-011025.pdf) In 2025 he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics, which was converted into a two-way deal during training camp.[10](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar-prac-20251017-persistence-pays-off-ron-harper-jr-earns-two-way-contract)
**Breakthrough season.** Playing for the Maine Celtics, Boston's G League affiliate, he led the team in scoring at 24.3 points per game, adding 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks on 45.5% shooting before his promotion.[2](https://cdn-uat.nba.com/news/celtics-sign-ron-harper-jr-to-extension) He was named NBA G League Player of the Week twice, and on November 21 he scored a career-high 46 points, including the game-winner with one second remaining in a 113-111 win over Delaware, the fifth-highest single-game total in Maine franchise history.[8](https://scarletknights.com/documents/download/2026/2/12/2025_26_RutgersMBB_GameNotes_Maryland.pdf) • [12](https://cdn-gleague.nba.com/sites/1612709915/2026/01/Game-27-MNE-at-CPS-012126.pdf)
In February 2026 he made his first career NBA start, finishing with a career-high 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting (3-of-7 from three), nine rebounds, and three assists in a career-high 33 minutes of Boston's 114-93 win over the [Houston Rockets](https://www.edgepedia.org/houston-rockets).[6](https://maine.gleague.nba.com/news/ron-harper-jr-first-nba-career-start) He was selected for the Castrol Rising Stars event at that month's NBA All-Star Weekend.[6](https://maine.gleague.nba.com/news/ron-harper-jr-first-nba-career-start) The Celtics converted him to a standard NBA contract in April 2026, and he finished the season with averages of 4.2 points on 41.8% shooting across 29 games with Boston.[2](https://cdn-uat.nba.com/news/celtics-sign-ron-harper-jr-to-extension) He started Game 7 of the Celtics' first-round playoff series against Philadelphia, playing four minutes in the season-ending loss.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1631199/ron-harper-jr)
In June 2026 the Celtics declined his $2.6 million team option to negotiate a new deal, and on July 6 they officially signed him to a three-year, $9 million contract.[2](https://cdn-uat.nba.com/news/celtics-sign-ron-harper-jr-to-extension)
## Family and playing style
Harper comes from a prominent basketball family. His father, [Ron Harper](https://www.edgepedia.org/ron-harper), was an AP All-American at Miami (Ohio), averaged 13.8 points over 1,009 NBA games across 15 seasons, and won five championships, three with the [Chicago Bulls](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-bulls) and two with the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-lakers).[7](https://scarletknights.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/ron-harper-jr/10593) His younger brother Dylan Harper was drafted second overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 2025 and named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.[2](https://cdn-uat.nba.com/news/celtics-sign-ron-harper-jr-to-extension) • [13](https://apnews.com/article/315cf506494acafe615e1809531b5be4) At the 2026 All-Star Weekend the three Harpers competed together on Team Harper in the Shooting Stars event.[14](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/adios-al-concurso-de-habilidades-de-la-nba-tv-normas-y-participantes-del-shooting-stars-del-all-star-f202602-n/)
Scouting reports entering the draft described Harper as a strong, physical wing whose value rests on off-ball shooting, cutting, and length rather than explosiveness; his 7'1.25" wingspan and 240-pound frame let him defend multiple positions and finish above the rim despite limited foot speed.[3](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ron-harper-jr) • [15](https://mavsdraft.com/ron-harper-jr-scouting-report/) In Boston he has been used as a combo guard-forward whose shooting gravity pulls help defenders out of the paint.[15](https://mavsdraft.com/ron-harper-jr-scouting-report/)
## References
1. [Ron Harper Jr. player page, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/player/1631199/ron-harper-jr)
2. [Celtics re-sign Ron Harper Jr. to long-term extension, NBA.com](https://cdn-uat.nba.com/news/celtics-sign-ron-harper-jr-to-extension)
3. [NBA 2022 Draft Prospects: Ron Harper Jr., NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ron-harper-jr)
4. [Ron Harper Jr. Stats, Basketball-Reference.com](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/harpero02.html)
5. [Celtics Convert Ron Harper Jr. to Two-Way Contract, NBA G League](https://gleague.nba.com/news/celtics-convert-ron-harper-jr-to-two-way-contract)
6. [Harper's first NBA start headlines big night for Maine's Two-Way Players, Maine Celtics](https://maine.gleague.nba.com/news/ron-harper-jr-first-nba-career-start)
7. [Ron Harper Jr. Biography, Rutgers University Athletics](https://scarletknights.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/ron-harper-jr/10593)
8. [2025-2026 Rutgers Basketball game notes, ScarletKnights.com](https://scarletknights.com/documents/download/2026/2/12/2025_26_RutgersMBB_GameNotes_Maryland.pdf)
9. [Ron Harper, Jr. G League game notes PDF](https://cdn-gleague.nba.com/sites/1612709915/2025/01/Game-24-MNE-vs-RAP-011025.pdf)
10. [Persistence Pays Off: Ron Harper Jr. Earns Two-Way Deal, Boston Celtics](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar-prac-20251017-persistence-pays-off-ron-harper-jr-earns-two-way-contract)
11. [2025-26 Regular Season Schedule game notes, Detroit Pistons](https://www.nba.com/gamenotes/pistons.pdf)
12. [Maine Celtics game notes, January 2026](https://cdn-gleague.nba.com/sites/1612709915/2026/01/Game-27-MNE-at-CPS-012126.pdf)
13. [Cooper Flagg is the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/315cf506494acafe615e1809531b5be4)
14. [Shooting Stars del All-Star 2026, AS.com](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/adios-al-concurso-de-habilidades-de-la-nba-tv-normas-y-participantes-del-shooting-stars-del-all-star-f202602-n/)
15. [Ron Harper Jr NBA Draft Scouting Report, MavsDraft](https://mavsdraft.com/ron-harper-jr-scouting-report/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › Current NBA players › Small forwards*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license