Sam Hauser will turn out to be an unrestricted free agent subsequent summer time if he does not signal a contract extension with the Boston Celtics.
The undrafted sharpshooter has been successful story of the Brad Stevens period since becoming a member of the group in 2021. After signing a two-way contract with Boston, Hauser earned himself a full-time deal, established himself within the rotation and helped lead the Celtics to a championship final season.
Boston is a second-apron luxurious tax group and is on track to pay the repeater tax, so an extension for Hauser is extra difficult than meets the attention. In keeping with ESPN’s Bobby Marks, an $8M contract extension for the sharpshooter would value Boston over $60M in penalties. Hauser would probably command greater than $8M, too.
“By exercising his $2 million group possibility this offseason, Hauser might be an unrestricted free agent with out an extension,” Marks wrote. “…As a result of Boston is a repeater tax group subsequent yr and the NBA is about to implement extra stringent penalties, a brand new contract for Hauser beginning at $8 million provides over $60 million in tax penalties.”
Final season, Hauser performed in 79 regular-season video games, averaging 9 factors, 3.5 rebounds and an help per recreation. He shot 42.4% from the perimeter, establishing himself as top-of-the-line floor-spacing position gamers within the NBA. He continued to develop his popularity with some respectable performances within the postseason, pulling down his threes at a 38% clip.
Since coming into the league, Hauser has additionally confirmed himself to be an above-average defender. He is dealt with each defensive task thrown at him and held his personal inside Joe Mazzulla’s intricate and dominant system. There can be a number of contending groups prepared to snap Hauser up ought to he hit the free-agent market.
Nonetheless, in line with a June 18 report by The Athletic’s John Hollinger, the Celtics are concerned with retaining Hauser sooner or later.
“Hauser has one yr left for the minimal, on a group possibility, and can be extension-eligible this summer time; he’s about to get dearer, however Boston sees him as a keeper,” Hollinger wrote.
Because the begin of the offseason, Stevens has proven his dedication to roster continuity by extending or re-signing a good portion of the championship-winning rotation. Hauser’s worth to Mazzulla’s system is simple. If the Celtics are prepared to eat the tax penalties, then an extension is probably going. Nonetheless, given the addition of Baylor Scheierman within the NBA Draft, Boston could select to check its luck in free company.
The Celtics have a troublesome resolution to make on Hauser’s future. He is earned a pay rise together with his stellar play. He is an NBA champion. And he is top-of-the-line motion shooters within the NBA.
Nonetheless, the monetary impression a possible extension would have on the Celtics’ cap sheet could imply that is his final season with the franchise that gave him his begin within the NBA.
