This summer, Brad Stevens took multiple flyers on young, unproven talents. The Boston Celtics added Josh Minott and Luka Garza to the rotation after both players struggled to see the court with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Minott and Garza are both proving to be NBA-level rotation players in Boston. And, with the Celtics still above the luxury tax line, Stevens could be tempted to take another swing on unproven young guys to try and shed some additional salary.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently proposed a trade that would see the Celtics ship out Sam Hauser, sending him to the Denver Nuggets. The proposed trade would look like this:
Celtics Get: DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji and a 2030 first-round pick (top three protected)
Nuggets Get: Sam Hauser
Hauser is in the first year of a four-year, $45 million contract. He’s one of the best movement shooters in the NBA. Hauser is also capable of attacking closeouts off the dribble and cooking teams from the mid-range or by getting to the rack. Furthermore, he’s an underrated defender for his position.
Nevertheless, he has been floated as a trade piece over the past few months, primarily because moving him would likely put the Celtics below the tax line.
Hauser Is Struggling From Deep In Recent Games
Shooters often experience slumps. It’s part of the game. However, over the past six games, Hauser has been ice-cold for the Celtics. He’s averaging a shocking 16.1% from three-point range, despite averaging 5.1 attempts per game. Unfortunately for him, things are much better inside the arc, with a 16.7% conversion rate on one attempt per game.
If Hauser’s shooting numbers remain poor, the Celtics could struggle to move him ahead of the trade deadline. After all, his value comes in his ability to knock down open shots at a high rate. Fortunately, six games is a small sample size, and Hauser has navigated these slumps in previous years.
Still, the Celtics need their sharpshooter to find some rhythm. His 34.1% shooting from deep on the season would be a career low if it held throughout the year.
It’s Hard To Envision The Celtics Trading Hauser
Under Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics are a three-point-heavy team. Therefore, it’s hard to envision the front office sanctioning a deal that would remove one of the best marksmen in the league from the rotation.
Hauser’s best skill directly fits how Boston wants to play. He’s also a cost-controlled asset for the next four years and a home-grown talent, having joined the franchise as an undrafted rookie in the 2021 season.
Moving on from Anfernee Simons, who has an expiring $27.6 million deal, is far more likely. The Celtics would likely get more in return and would be shedding significant salary from the books. Furthermore, moving Simons would add to the package the team received when it shipped out Jrue Holiday earlier this summer.
Of course, if the right package emerged for Hauser, Stevens would likely consider it. However, a deal for Nnaji and Holmes doesn’t project to be enough to land an NBA champion marksman, even if a first-round pick is added to sweeten the deal. The Celtics could, and should, get a better return if they decide to explore Hauser’s trade market.
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