Celtics' Sam Hauser Agrees to 4-Year, $45M Contract Extension; Updated Salary Cap

The Boston Celtics and forward Sam Hauser agreed to a four-year, $45 million contract extension Sunday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Boston's latest attempt to keep its championship-winning roster together. The deal will not impact Boston's salary cap for the 2024-25 season but will significantly raise its tax bill starting in 2025-26.

The Celtics are currently $7.6 million over the second tax apron for next season.

Hauser averaged 9.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season while shooting 42.4 percent from three-point range. After an inconsistent start to the 2024 postseason, Hauser knocked down 47.8 percent of his threes during Boston's NBA Finals win over the Dallas Mavericks.

The Celtics previously locked in Jayson Tatum and Derrick White to nine-figure extensions this offseason. Those deals will lock Boston into being a second-apron team for the foreseeable future, and Hauser's extension may be a partial byproduct of that status.

Once Hauser's extension kicks in, his yearly salary will be right below the non-taxpayer midlevel exception. While Boston will not be able to combine Hauser with another player in trades, the front office could float him and a draft pick in trade talks for veteran pieces in the $10-11 million range.

While Hauser is a valuable player on his own, his contract might wind up carrying more value starting in 2025-26. The Celtics could also explore offering guard Jaden Springer a contract extension with a ballooned salary to give themselves flexibility. The Philadelphia 76ers used this tact in re-signing Kenyon Martin Jr. earlier this summer.