With the trade deadline just two weeks away, the Celtics are reportedly in buy mode as they look to gear up for another deep playoff run. “The looming return of Jayson Tatum along with the surprisingly strong play from young Boston forwards has created a surprising surplus on the wing. It’s a fortunate spot for Brad Stevens to be in as trade season enters full swing since some expendable assets will ultimately be needed to improve the roster.
One fascinating trade option to consider for Boston, at least before the past month, was testing Sam Hauser’s market. The veteran had been pulled from the starting five to start the season after two games and found himself seeing limited minutes off the bench as other wings emerged as factors for much of November and December.
Joe Mazzulla turned back to Hauser in the starting five on Jan. 3, however, and the 28-year-old has responded with his best basketball of the season. He’s averaging 14.5 points per game in January while scorching 48.2 percent from 3-point range.
“That’s a great sign for our team,” Jaylen Brown said. “When Sam is shooting those shots and they’re not hitting nothing but the bottom of the net, that’s a great sign for our team. So just finding him, looking for him more, and then living with the makes or the misses, because the analytics are in our favor when Sam is getting open looks.”
Boston has gone 6-3 since he’s been reinserted into the starting five, scoring 17 points on Wednesday night in a 119-104 win over the Pacers. The performance continues to solidify his spot in the starting lineup, at least until Tatum returns.
“I just think they’re playing well,” Joe Mazzulla said of the starters with Hauser. “So I think our defense has gotten better. I think our offensive execution has gotten better. I think Sam’s ability to just continue to play two-way basketball, his ability to defend at a high level, and then it obviously just allows us to spread the floor and play a little bit offensively. So we have to be able to go to a bunch of different lineups, but that one’s playing well so far.”
This steady play is creating an interesting conundrum for Stevens to consider as he weighs changes to Boston’s supporting cast in the weeks ahead in order to add a big man. If getting under the luxury tax is a team priority, moving Hauser’s deal could be a simple way to cut some payroll for a promising return. Hauser’s cost-controlled contract (four years at $44 million) also would be good bait for an upgrade in the frontcourt depth as part of a bigger trade package.
The Celtics have stockpiled enough young, cheap wing depth (Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman), making the idea of moving on from Hauser a feasible option given that Jayson Tatum will soon be able to soak up a lot of those minutes. Getting a big that is playable in the playoffs may be worth sacrificing Hauser as the cost.
Still, Hauser’s play in the last month should give Stevens some pause on that front. He’s a playoff proven performer on a team that hasn’t had a lot of reliable high-volume 3-point shooters in the lineup this year. Hauser could also be a more valuable contributor this postseason than Anfernee Simons, making the guard look like the more expendable piece at this point in a trade.
Ultimately, the Celtics are going to have a variety of options at their disposal in the coming weeks in building out the roster. Hauser’s play of late is only adding to his case to remain part of Boston’s plans.