The NBA draft is rapidly approaching, and the Boston Celtics have been a busy team. They have been active in scheduling workouts with draft prospects and have been fielding calls on key members of the roster. Of those they received calls on, we could be seeing the end of Sam Hauser's time in Boston.
Ever since signing with the Celtics as an undrafted free agent in 2021, Hauser has become a solid role player. After spending most of his first year with the Maine Celtics, he earned rotation minutes during the 2022-2023 NBA season, averaging 16.1 minutes per game. The following year, he saw that jump to 22 minutes per game and helped Boston bring home banner 18. While Hauser has been a consistent rotation member for the past three seasons, his contract, combined with the Celtics' tax bill, puts him on the chopping block.
Sam Hauser May Be Replaced at the NBA Draft
While Hauser isn't the only player who could be traded, his contract makes him the most likely candidate among Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and him. While his contract is cheaper, it also makes it easier for him to move without returning a contract of equal value. Hauser also has a skill set that every team would look for, being an elite three-point shooter. In his four NBA seasons, Hauser has yet to shoot worse than 40% from 3. On top of his shooting abilities, Hauser is also a passable defender.
With his skill set, Hauser could be used, with draft capital, to move up in the draft. The Celtics did work out Washington State forward Cedric Coward, who looks to be out of the range of their current picks. Even if they don't move up, the Celtics could look at Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh to take Hauser's minutes and use the draft to address other needs.
While Hauser has been a good player for the Celtics, fans should be prepared for the possibility of him being traded. With the second apron penalties and Celtics retooling their roster, Hauser could be one of the casualties.