The Boston Celtics have been among the pleasant surprises in the NBA, remaining consistently among the Eastern Conference's top contenders despite a brutal offseason. Boston opted to blow up its championship team after losing Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles tendon in last year's playoffs, parting ways with Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Luke Kornet. Still, this is an incredibly talented team relying on a scrappy underdog mentality that fits the city and goes perfectly with the incredible season Jaylen Brown is having.
Still, there are clear changes that need to be made, including shedding the contract of shooter Sam Hauser. If there was one remaining eyesore, it is Hauser's contract that pays between $10-12 million each of the next four seasons. It is the last contract that Boston needs to shed to fully embrace its identity and move on from the previous regime. While it won't be easy, it does appear that this will be Hauser's last Christmas in Boston.
The shooter can be moved to a tanking team in a salary dump deal with the Celtics taking on shorter- term contracts in return. Boston simply is going to need to include a draft pick or some motivating factor to move on from the only bad contract remaining on the roster and one that isn't aging any better with Hauser's three-point and free-throw percentage both notably dipping thus far in the 2025-26 season.
Celtics Cannot Afford to Spend Another Christmas with Sam Hauser in the Rotation
Hauser's numbers are slipping in the wrong direction, with the shooter simply no longer fitting the brand of basketball Boston is playing. While this isn't on the shoulders of the forward, who is clearly hustling and giving it his best effort, this should be the final weeks that Hauser spends in a Boston uniform.
The Celtics owe it to themselves to give the roster its best chance to contend in a wide-open Eastern Conference, and Hauser is doing nothing to contribute to this. A three-point shooter that isn't managing to knock down shots and can be a liability defensively obviously carries little value. This makes it clear that a draft pick is going to have to be attached to shed the contract, along with Boston taking a less-than-ideal return.
Still, it is a move that appears likely and is well worth making as the Celtics continue to defy expectations. It is fun to consider what the ceiling of this team might be and whether or not Tatum could find his way back to the starting lineup before the end of the season.
Regardless of the answer, moving forward for Boston looks like finishing what they started in the offseason and shedding the final bad contract. That means Hauser is likely spending his final Christmas in Boston.