Could Sam Hauser’s time with the Boston Celtics be coming to an end?
Ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley detailed one player every NBA team should trade this season.
Buckley identified Hauser as Boston’s trade candidate for three key reasons: his salary, valuable skill set and potential replacements already on the roster.
“If contending still seems possible, then maybe that would embolden the Celtics to broker a huge blockbuster built around Paul George’s colossal salary and draft assets,” Buckley wrote. “If this group is obviously more than one player away, moving Derrick White for trade chips to cash in at a later date could be the right call.
“For now, though, this feels like a safe middle ground. Hauser has a relatively modest salary ($10.8 million), a coveted role (6’7″ sharpshooter) and plenty of playoff experience. He would not be difficult to shop. He also might be somewhat simple to replace internally with some combination of Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and Hugo González.”
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Hauser has been with the Celtics since 2021, developing from an undrafted rookie into a reliable part of Joe Mazzulla’s rotation. He averaged a career-best 9.2 points last season while shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range. Only Payton Pritchard and Derrick White made more 3-pointers than Hauser on the season.
Hauser signed a four-year, $45 million extension with the Celtics in 2024 that runs through the 2028-29 season. Boston has no immediate need to trade him, but his salary could be used to pursue another upgrade while opening up more opportunities for Scheierman, Walsh and Gonzalez.
For now, Buckley’s proposal is speculation rather than an indication that the Celtics are eager to move on from Hauser. Even so, the front office could eventually face a decision about how much it values Hauser’s proven shooting compared to the potential of its younger wings.
