If the Boston Celtics are going to continue retooling the current roster, then Sam Hauser appears to be the most likely traded candidate. The sharpshooter has three years remaining on his current $45 million deal.
Of course, finding the right trade package to make parting with one of the best snipers in the NBA worthwhile would be key. That’s where Spotrac’s trade machine comes in handy, specifically the section that shows other users’ successful trade ideas.
When looking at those successful ideas, one trade stood out, and looked like this:
Celtics Get: Anthony Black
Dallas Mavericks Get: Sam Hauser, Goga Bitadze, a 2028 second-round pick via the Washington Wizards, and a 2030 second-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks.
Orlando Magic Get: Klay Thompson, a 2028 first-round pick via Boston and a 2031 second-round pick via Boston.
Black is known as a high-level defender. He would instantly give the Celtics some additional defensive versatility on the perimeter. Furthermore, Black could provide some high-level on-ball defense to plug some of the gap left behind by the Jaylen Brown trade.
Furthermore, Black is coming off the best season of his young NBA career. In 64 games, he averaged 15 points, 3.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. He shot 51.9% from two-point range and 33.3% from three-point range.
Celtics Unlikely To Acquire Black
While the Spotrac user’s trade is perfectly legal within the NBA’s framework, it’s unlikely that the Orlando Magic would be willing to play ball. Black is 22 years old and has shown growth every season since entering the league.
The Magic have also built a system around their defensive versatility and intensity. Losing a player who could develop into an elite point-of-attack defender would be counterproductive to the system they’ve implemented and continue to grow.
Of course, adding Thompson to Orlando’s roster would be enticing. He would provide a level of veteran leadership and championship know-how that the franchise thought they were getting when they signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2024. Nevertheless, swapping Black for Thompson wouldn’t be smart roster building.
Celtics Can Run It Back With Sam Hauser
Despite Hauser’s tradable contract, there’s no reason to believe the Celtics have to trade him. He’s still an elite scoring threat, both off the catch and via one-dribble pull-ups. Hauser has also added new aspects to his game in recent years, most importantly attacking close-outs off the bounce.
If the Celtics do choose to part ways with Hauser, they will likely look for a fair return and to plug a gap within the rotation.
For now, though, it’s fair to assume that the current roster is locked in. Well, unless the Celtics decide to fill the 15th roster spot. Yet, in truth, that will likely be with a young talent such as Dillon Mitchell. The second-round draft pick impressed during Summer League.
With that in mind, Brad Stevens may opt to wait and see how the current roster performs before making any further changes. As such, Hauser may be floated in discussion as we get closer to the trade deadline. Who he could be traded for, will continue to be a topic for debate.
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