Report: Celtics pick up Sam Hauser’s team option

Sam Hauser will be back in Boston for the 2024-25 season.

According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the Celtics intend to exercise Hauser’s $2.1 million team option for the 2024-25 season. In doing so, Hauser will become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has emphasized the team’s commitment to keeping him in Boston long-term.

Boston could offer up to four years and $78 million for a full max extension for Hauser.

“We want Hauser to be here for a long time,” Stevens said at his post-draft presser on Thursday.

Entering his fourth season, Hauser becomes extension-eligible on July 9, and the team is expected to start negotiations to secure his future beyond the upcoming season when that window opens.

Boston has found way more than they originally bargained for in Sam Hauser.

After going undrafted out of Virginia, Hauser spent the first half of his rookie season on a two-way deal with the Celtics before signing a standard NBA contract midway through the season. Hauser was the first Celtic two-way player to have his contract converted to a standard NBA deal during his rookie season.

It was clear that Stevens and the Celtics saw potential in the former Virginia Cavalier when the team declined his $1.6 million team option following his rookie season and offered him a three-year deal worth just under $6 million. Since then, he has improved on both sides of the ball each season.

Hauser, a career 42.2% three-point shooter, posted career-highs in points (9.0), rebounds (3.5), and assists (1.0) over 79 games (13 starts) during Boston’s championship campaign. His impressive 47.8% shooting from deep in the NBA Finals played a critical role in the team’s success.

By picking up Hauser’s option, Boston will have eight of its top rotational players (Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Payton Pritchard, and Hauser) under contract for the 2024-25 season.