New Celtics Addition Has Already Made $45 Million Veteran Expendable

Even though Celtics fans were expecting a big exodus this offseason, GM Brad Stevens' roster moves still left many in Boston disappointed. The impetus to shed salary resulted in trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, letting Luke Kornet sign with the Spurs, and likely allowing Al Horford to go elsewhere. The Celtics tried to recoup as much value while staying competitive next season, but it's difficult to argue that they have enough talent to be relevant in the Eastern Conference.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Taking a year off while Jayson Tatum recovers from a torn Achilles wouldn't be the worst option for the franchise. If that is indeed the plan, the Celtics have no choice but to move on from Sam Hauser and the four-year, $45 million contract that he is starting in the 2025-26 season.

Georges Niang's Arrival in Boston Makes Sam Hauser Expendable

This is especially important now that the Celtics have Georges Niang in the mix. The 32-year-old veteran is obviously not as good as Hauser at this stage of his career, but he does a lot of the same things. The power forward is one of the best three-point shooters of his position, consistently hitting 40% from downtown. He has an intriguing drive game that could be beneficial in Joe Mazzulla's system.

Where the big downgrade comes is on the defensive side of the ball. While Hauser is not a defensive stopper by any means, he is significantly better than the slow-footed Niang. However, this is a downgrade the Celtics have to be fine with while they look to rebuild around Tatum and Jaylen Brown for the 2026-27 season with the newfound roster flexibility.Hauser has been an important part of this team with his elite shooting. Unfortunately, he has too much money on the books going forward for this cash-strapped team. Now that the Celtics have a similar player in Niang, who is on an expiring contract, Hauser is as expendable as ever.