The Celtics enter an important offseason, and at this point, what path they take this summer is the big question mark. Boston’s front office will need to shed payroll this offseason by dealing contracts, it’s just a question of who exactly will be moved.
The rumors have already started, whether it’s Jrue Holiday, Sam Hauser or other rotation players. But Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, on NBC Sports Boston’s Off C’season special, pinpointed which player could be moved this summer.
“Hauser is the most likely candidate to go just because you have (Baylor) Scheierman there to effectively fill his role,” Mannix said. “I think they’d love to find a home for Jrue Holiday just because of the contract and where they are as a team. (Kristaps) Porzingis, who knows? They don’t want to take contracts that are longer than Porzingis’ deal, but he’s certainly available.”
Hauser has an affordable four-year contract, signing the $45 million extension last summer. So if a team wants to grab the sharpshooter, from a monetary perspective, it isn’t as difficult for the C’s to shed salary compared to some other guys. Hauser, 27, battled injuries last season but he’s a career 42.0% 3-point shooter and has been a playoff performer.
The Scheierman angle is interesting as he’s just coming off his rookie season in the NBA. Scheierman, 24, was picked 30th overall by the Celtics in last year’s draft. While he didn’t play much to open his rookie season, seeing plenty of time in the G League, he showed his development over the second half of the year.
Now, expecting Scheierman to soak up Hauser’s minutes would be a tough ask. Hauser is unique because he’s one of the best shooters in the league. So asking Scheierman to pick up that production in his second season would be tough. But if the Celtics do deal Hauser this summer, Scheierman would be in line to see his role increased.
“Whenever I talk to teams about Boston, they’re almost viewed as a target where they got a little bit of something for everybody,” Mannix said. “If you want a wing player, you can go and try to pull Sam Hauser out of there. If you need a defensive-minded guard, hey, Jrue Holiday is available. I just think right now, teams are waiting to see just how deep the cuts with Boston are going to go.”