Former Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics guard RJ Luis is returning to college basketball after spending the past year in the NBA and G League pipeline.
NBA insider Evan Sidery reported Tuesday that Luis has committed to LSU after previously signing a two-way contract with the Jazz and later joining the Celtics organization. Sidery added that Luis is another example of a player using the growing NCAA-NBA pathway to return to college basketball after time in a professional system.
Luis went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft despite a strong final season at St. John’s. He signed a two-way contract with Utah on June 26, 2025, before being traded to Boston on Aug. 6 alongside an $8 million trade exception in exchange for Georges Niang and two future second-round picks.
The Celtics waived Luis before the start of the 2025-26 season on Oct. 15. He later signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s NBA G League affiliate.
The 22-year-old now heads to LSU after building one of the strongest résumés in college basketball during the 2024-25 season. Luis averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 35 games at St. John’s while shooting 43.9% from the field and 33.6% from three-point range.
His breakout campaign earned him Consensus second-team All-American honors, Big East Player of the Year recognition and the Big East tournament Most Outstanding Player award. Luis also made the First-team All-Big East squad and won the Haggerty Award.
At 6-foot-7, Luis developed into a versatile wing scorer during his three college seasons. He averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds across 85 career games between UMass and St. John’s.
The decision reflects a broader trend in basketball, with former NBA and G League players returning to the NCAA through eligibility and NIL opportunities. Several players who previously tested the professional route have chosen college programs offering larger offensive roles, development minutes and financial flexibility.
