Celtics' 2021 gamble continues to pay dividends

The Boston Celtics signed Sam Hauser to a two-way contract in 2021. The sharpshooting forward had gone undrafted despite narrowly missing out on the coveted 50/40/90 statline during his final collegiate season with the Virginia Cavaliers.

Since joining the Celtics, Hauser has proved himself to be one of the best movement shooters in the NBA. He quickly impressed Boston's coaching staff, earning him a full-scale deal before the end of his rookie season. Then, in just his third year in the league, he played a key role in Boston's stampede to a championship.

Hauser took to the court for 79 regular-season games and all 19 of Boston's postseason contests. He averaged 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist per contest while knocking down perimeter shots at a 42.4% clip. That level of production, coupled with its ever-improving defense, convinced Brad Stevens to sign him to a four-year $45 million contract extension this summer, which is fully guaranteed.

During a recent meet-and-greet at North Shore Mall in Boston, Hauser discussed his recent contract extension.

"Pretty special that they gave me an opportunity early on when nobody else did and I just tried to run with it,” Hauser said. “They believed in me, and I’m just glad I can be here and be with this team and have another chance to win it all."

Joe Mazzulla's team is known for shooting a considerable number of three-pointers per game. It's part of the Celtics' offensive strategy, and they have the scoring talent to sustain it. However, there aren't many better perimeter scorers than Hauser. He has thrived as an off-ball weapon since entering the league and is capable of changing the momentum of a game from the bench.

As such, it makes sense that Boston wanted to keep him around. Furthermore, his contract holds an average annual value of $11.2 million, making it highly tradable if the front office decides to pivot for whatever reason. Nevertheless, Hauser's new deal proves that Stevens' gamble early in his front-office career continues to pay dividends and could be an important piece of any future success.