Hardly anyone expected the Boston Celtics to be in second place in the Eastern Conference standings at the midway point. With their numerous departures combined with superstar Jayson Tatum sidelined, the 26-15 Celtics have put themselves in a great position to solidify their playoff standing with the trade deadline less than three weeks away.
President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens seems destined to acquire frontcourt depth, with the Celtics being linked to numerous centers these past few weeks. One player who has been in trade rumors throughout this season for the Celtics is forward Sam Hauser.
Despite being a crucial contributor off the bench for the Celtics’ championship run, Hauser’s name has been thrown around in mock trades. If the Celtics had any plans of trading him, the five-year veteran has closed the door on those ideas with his stellar performance this month.
Sam Hauser's Turnaround Should Squash Any Trade Rumors
Tatum’s absence has led to Celtics’ head coach Joe Mazzulla constantly tinkering with the starting lineup. Mazzulla has given wings Josh Minott, Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, and Baylor Scheierman opportunities to prove they deserve a larger role.
While they’ve all done a fine job in spurts, they haven’t been consistent. Hauser, meanwhile, has proven that he can be consistently relied upon. Although he was in a shooting slump in November, averaging 5.1 points and shooting 27.5% from three, Hauser has bounced back into his elite shooting form this month.
He has been on an absolute tear since being integrated into the starting lineup, averaging 14 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, shooting a ridiculous 45.1% from three on 8.9 attempts in his last eight games. Hauser is coming off his best performance of the season, scoring a season-high 30 points and tying his career-high in threes (10) in the Celtics’ 132-106 victory against the Atlanta Hawks.
Not only has Hauser been a crucial contributor to the Celtics’ offense, but he’s also provided the Celtics with valuable defense. While Hauser may not be as great a defender as Marcus Smart or Derrick White, he’s proven to be a capable defender throughout his time with the Celtics.
Looking back at their NBA Finals series against the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving constantly targeted Hauser, yet he was able to hold his own. Even though he’s not a star player, Hauser continues to excel in his role and continues providing meaningful contributions on both ends.
While the Celtics could use help in their frontcourt, it wouldn’t be worth giving up Hauser, especially if Tatum does return this season. Both Jaylen Brown and Tatum are tremendous playmakers, and having an elite shooter in Hauser takes the pressure off the two while also opening up the driving lanes.
Hauser is the perfect player for Mazzulla’s offense, and unless they’re able to land Jaren Jackson Jr., there is no point in moving on from him. Hopefully, the Celtics stand firm at the deadline and enter the playoffs with this current iteration.