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GettySam Hauser, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics continue to beef 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 to a three-year deal, worth “approximately $6 million” with the first two years of the contract fully guaranteed.
According to a league source, the Celtics and forward Sam Hauser have agreed to a three-year contract worth approximately $6 million. The first two years are fully guaranteed. Cs is hopeful that Hauser can be a real contributor next season. https://t.co/y2fzvkurvH
– Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) July 3, 2022
Hauser’s new contract marks the end of a wild twelve months for the sharpshooter, as he went from an undrafted rookie to a two-way player who spent most of his time in the G-League, to an NBA player to full-time after having his contract converted to short-term, and is now a second-year wing on a multi-year deal.
With the Celtics rising so quickly through the ranks, it’s fair to assume they have high overall potential and believe their perimeter scoring is sustainable at the NBA level. Also, according to Himmelsbach’s report, the Celtics “are hopeful that Hauser can be a real contributor next season,” which means we should expect to see him with opportunities in the first couple of months.
Nesmith 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 up additional minutes for a shooter off the bench.
Of course, the arrival of Danilo Gallinari means Boston has met its immediate need to shoot with size, but given Hauser’s age, off-the-ball movement and ability to play shooting guard, small forward and power forward, there are plenty of opportunities. reason to believe he can carve out a role in the rotation next season.
With Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari, the Celtics will have all kinds of depth.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) July 1, 2022
Through 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 participated 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% shooting. three-point shots for 10.8 attempts per game.
The 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 shooting from the perimeter.
Grant Williams had a breakout year shooting 41.1% from deep, Gallinari is a 38.2% career three-point shooter, Hauser can hit the stone from the catch and Brogdon is a 37.6% shooter from deep. And then you have Payton Pritchard, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and even Marcus Smart and Al Horford.
Can confirm @AdamHimmelsbach’s report that the Celtics will bring back Sam Hauser on a multi-year deal as expected. Boston still had three more roster spots left to fill after a busy start to the offseason https://t.co/xyp5x10Ksf
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) July 3, 2022
Suddenly, the Celtics boast considerable size and depth of scoring talent, while they haven’t lost any of their core players, which means we can expect their defense to remain elite throughout the coming season. For a team that came just two wins away from lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy last season, solving its shooting woes is a huge victory, especially if Brogdon can also provide the third game the team has been sorely lacking.
And for Hauser, the opportunity to continue to develop and work toward a genuine role in a contending team’s rotation is precisely what he would have hoped for when he chose to join Boston on a two-way deal last season.
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