3 Celtics who won’t be back next season after NBA Finals loss
By Ian Levy
2. Sam Hauser probably won’t be back with the Celtics next season
Sam Hauser was among the most-used, end-of-the-bench players for the Celtics this season. The 24-year-old, undrafted rookie, appeared in 26 games for a grand total of 52 minutes and proved himself to be a strong outside shooter. He attempted a grand total of 50 shots on the season, 44 of which came from beyond the arc and he finished have made 43.2 percent of his 3s.
Still, more than half his minutes in the regular season and all of his 15 minutes during the playoffs came in garbage time — his shooting touch wasn’t enough to work his way into the rotation in any meaningful way.
The Celtics have a club option for about $1.5 million next season and it’s possible they decide to keep him around for another year. But the top end of the Celtics rotation is fairly locked in and if they’re going to make improvements for next season it may have to be by clearing some roster spots and using them on veteran minimum contracts for players with a bit more situational value.