Getty Sam Hauser, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics continue to shore up their roster after coming close to winning an NBA Championship last season.
According to a report by Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the Celtics are re-signing Sam Hauser on a three-year deal, worth ‘approximately $6 million’ with the first two years of the contract being fully guaranteed.
According to a league source, the Celtics and forward Sam Hauser have agreed to a three-year deal worth approximately $6 million. The first two years are fully guaranteed.
Cs are hopeful Hauser can be a real contributor next season.
Hauser’s new contract marks the end to a wild twelve months for the sharpshooter, as he went from being an undrafted rookie to a two-way player spending most of his time in the G-League, to a full-time NBA player after having his contract converted on a short-term basis, and is now a sophomore wing on a multi-year deal.
With such a quick rise through the Celtics ranks, it’s fair to assume they’re high on his overall potential and believe that his perimeter scoring is sustainable at the NBA level. Also, according to Himmelsbach’s report, the Celtics ‘are hopeful Hauser can be a real contributor next season,’ which means we should expect to see him given opportunities during the opening months.
Nesmith’s Exit Could Open Door for Hauser
When the Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon on July 1, they sent Aaron Nesmith to the Indiana Pacers as part of the outgoing trade package, thus opening additional minutes for a sharpshooter off the bench.
Of course, Danilo Gallinari’s arrival means that Boston resolved their immediate need for shooting with size, but given Hauser’s age, off-ball movement, and ability to play the shooting guard, small forward, and power forward positions, there is every reason to believe he can carve himself a role within the rotation next season.
With Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari, the Celtics will have all sorts of depth.
Throughout his 26 regular-season games as a rookie, the Marquette and Virginia product averaged 2.5 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game while shooting 43.2% from the perimeter on 1.7 attempts per game. However, it’s also worth remembering that Hauser did participate in the G-League last season, playing 13 games for the Maine Celtics, averaging 20.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 40.7% three-point shooting for 10.8 attempts per game.
Celtics Have Shooting Depth Now
A big part of the Celtics’ struggles against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, was Boston’s limited depth, both in terms of viable role players and perimeter shooting.
Grant Williams had a breakout year and shot the ball at a 41.1% clip from deep, Gallinari is a career 38.2% three-point shooter, Hauser can score the rock off the catch, and Brogdon is a 37.6% marksman from deep. And then you have Payton Pritchard, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and even Marcus Smart and Al Horford.
Can confirm @AdamHimmelsbach report that Celtics are bringing Sam Hauser back on multi-year deal as expected. Boston still had three more roster spots left to fill after a busy start to the offseason
Suddenly, the Celtics boast considerable size, and a depth of scoring talent while they haven’t lost any of their core players, meaning we can expect their defense to remain at an elite level throughout next season. For a team that was just two wins away from lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy last season, resolving their shooting issues is a huge win, especially if Brogdon can also provide the tertiary playmaking the team was sorely lacking.
And for Hauser, the opportunity to continue developing, and working towards a genuine role within a contending team’s rotation is precisely what he would have hoped for when he chose to join Boston on a two-way contract last season.