LA JOLLA, Calif. – Former UC San Diego standout point guard Hayden Gray has signed a pro contract with the NBA's Boston Celtics. Gray, the 2025 Big West Defensive Player of the Year, became the first Triton to play in an NBA game in April.
 
Gray suited up for the Utah Jazz on April 12, scoring six points with an assist, steal and block against the Lakers in Los Angeles. After graduating from UC San Diego, he spent most of the 2025-26 season with the Maine Celtics in the NBA G League. The San Diego native appeared in 48 games (23 starts) for the Celtics, averaging 9.9 points, 5.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in 27.9 minutes per game. He recorded eight double-doubles and posted four 20-point performances.

In his final year as a Triton, Hayden Gray garnered recognition as The Big West's top defensive player and was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Gray led the nation in steals in 2024-25 with 110.
 
The Celtics begin their preseason October 8 in Cleveland against the Cavaliers.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.