It will be interesting to see what happens if they can't move Simons.
Do they then make Hauser available around the deadline to get below the tax, dumping some other end of roster salary in the process?
I hope not.
that would be a crappy Plan B. only possible light at the end of that tunnel is that someone in the youth movement has made the leap to rotation-quality player that could fill Hauser's minutes competently.
Yeah, I would be comfortable with Hugo Gonzalez replacing Hauser in the rotation. There is a good player there in Hugo.
I expect Hugo to be a rotation worthy player by 2026-27. I would be surprised / disappointing if he wasn't ready by then. If he hasn't gotten his shot up to serviceable level by then. Because I think the rest of his game is already NBA ready right now. It is just his outside shot I am concerned about.
I would rather keep Hauser because Hauser is a well above average backup SF. Hugo would have to improve rapidly to play at that level. But in terms of a step back, I think Hugo should be good enough to be an able replacement at backup SF for 2026-27 for Hauser if Hauser needs to be traded.
Except for the part where he can?t shoot. At all. Sam is the best shooter on the team. 
I'm not expecting anything out of Hugo this year except maybe hustle plays if he sees the court. the player I think has the best chance of earning Sam's minutes is Baylor -- but, he has to start hitting his shots a lot more consistently.
I lost confidence in Scheierman during SL. I think his ceiling is as a 9th/10th man. Too bad defensively. I don't expect he will ever be able to replace Hauser. I see as a borderline rotation player to 3rd stringer to non-NBA player. Depending on how consistent he can become as a spot up shooter (33% to 35-36% to 38-40% 3PT).
I do like Scheierman to give us some minutes next year but I do not see him as a long term replacement for Hauser.
Exactly. Couldn?t agree more.
Yeah - he was a disappointment in SL. A time for him to shine, and he didn't.
My only hope about Scheierman is that he was being forced into an alpha dog role in SL. His skillset is NOT trying to create his own shot.
Imagine if Hauser was playing SL with a bunch of scrubs. I doubt Sam (at the same age as Scheierman) would have done any better.
Baylor was definitely forcing it at times in SL. And that (I hope) was affecting his confidence in his shot when he was wide open.
Put Baylor on the floor whose only role is that of a sharpshooter, and he may change our minds. He won't be forcing it, he'll be passing it off to JB, JT, or DW late in th shot clock.
