The Boston Celtics brought back almost an identical team this season to the one that won a championship during the 2023-24 NBA campaign.
The chances of that happening again look slim.
The Celtics and the new ownership group face a massive financial undertaking due to the cost of the roster and luxury tax penalties. After Jayson Tatum and Derrick White’s mega extensions go into place next season, the Celtics would foot around a $500 million bill just to put all their players on the court.
That could force the franchise to pick off some of its pieces to lessen the monetary burden, and Sam Hauser is a prime candidate for the Celtics to move this offseason.
Hauser’s four-year, $45 million contract, which begins with the 2025-26 campaign, isn’t one that breaks the bank. He’s set to make $10 million next season, but when adding on the luxury tax penalties, he would cost the Celtics $90 million.
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That’s a lot of money to allocate to a role player — albeit one that is a career 42% 3-point shooter — and makes Hauser expendable. It isn’t lost on him that given the current state of the Celtics, his future with the team is unclear.
“There is a lot of uncertainty now, especially with Jayson’s injury,” Hauser told reporters Saturday, per the Boston Herald’s Zack Cox. “I don’t really know his time to return, but it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be soon. So it makes you wonder, for sure.”
Aside from the financial benefit of trading Hauser, the Celtics appear to have his replacement already on the roster in Baylor Scheierman. Scheierman showed flashes this past season as a rookie, including scoring 20 points in a win over the Brooklyn Nets in March, and shot 37.1% from beyond the arc over his final 14 games of the regular season.
The Celtics also could have a replacement lined up to fill the role of one of their impending free agents. Luke Kornet, who the Celtics brought back last offseason on a one-year deal, is set to hit the open market again. He had a strong season as a reserve big man, highlighted by his 10-point, nine-rebound, seven-block performance against the New York Knicks in Game 5.
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But the Celtics could turn Kornet’s role over to Neemias Queta, who will make $2.3 million next season. Queta couldn’t carve out a consistent role for himself this season, but it’s clear the Celtics like the potential he shows in his athletic 7-foot frame.
The Celtics will have to make a decision when it comes to Kornet, who turned into a fan favorite. And Kornet will need to make one, too, but that’s not on his radar as of yet.
“Regarding going forward it’s like, I’ll figure out stuff when it kind of comes to it,” Kornet told reporters, per MassLive’s Souichi Terada. “At this point, you’re just kind of trying to unwind and spend some time with family and you don’t even know what everything is gonna look like because you just got done playing. That’s kind of what it is for now.”