Sam Hauser extension?

[Roy H.]

John Hollinger posted this about a week ago:

Expect that trend to continue. In addition to Tatum, I?m hearing it?s very likely that Sam Hauser and Derrick White will join them. Hauser has one year left for the minimum, on a team option, and will be extension-eligible this summer; he?s about to get more expensive, but Boston sees him as a keeper. One possible cap shenanigan would be to decline Hauser?s team option for 2024-25 and re-sign him for lower money and more years than in an extension that started in 2025-26. Doing so would increase the Celtics? tax penalty in 2024-25 but lessen the impact of the repeater penalty and manage the second apron in the out years.

I had considered this to be a possibility, but not something that was particularly probable.  What do you think it would take to keep him?

[celticinorlando]

John Hollinger posted this about a week ago:

Expect that trend to continue. In addition to Tatum, I?m hearing it?s very likely that Sam Hauser and Derrick White will join them. Hauser has one year left for the minimum, on a team option, and will be extension-eligible this summer; he?s about to get more expensive, but Boston sees him as a keeper. One possible cap shenanigan would be to decline Hauser?s team option for 2024-25 and re-sign him for lower money and more years than in an extension that started in 2025-26. Doing so would increase the Celtics? tax penalty in 2024-25 but lessen the impact of the repeater penalty and manage the second apron in the out years.

I had considered this to be a possibility, but not something that was particularly probable.  What do you think it would take to keep him?

He?s improved tremendously each year esp on defense
Bench lacks scoring with KP being out so you need to keep him past this next season.

[jambr380]

I doubt Hauser takes a Pritchard level deal, but can we really afford to pay him more than $10M/yr? I'm a fan of what he brings to the team, but the tax penalties are just getting comical at this point.

[Who]

I think Hauser is worth $15mil per year. If you can get him below that number by signing him early, do it.

If I was Hauser, I'd want to leave and pursue a starting gig elsewhere. He is a starting caliber SF in today's NBA with the way he shoots the ball. He should be looking at Kyle Korver as a career model to follow. Hauser could have similar success as a starter if given the opportunity.

[bdm860]

How often do teams do this?  Because one incident comes to mind and it's Carlos Boozer.

Though a quick google search tells me Hauser's agent is Jason Glushon, and another search tells me his clients include Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, so he probably has a good working relationship with the C's and has a vested interest in helping keep the team good.


Someone would have to break down the tax bill this year vs future years, but I would think it also makes sense as an alternative way to keep an asset, because he's certainly on pace for a big pay day next year, and the C's are going to lose him for nothing and be forced to replace him with a minimum contract player the way things stand currently.  But if they sign him now, they can trade him away in a couple of years when their tax bill gets too big for a lesser salary, but someone more than the minimum (maybe in the $5-$8m range?).  Pay more in tax now, but increase future flexibility.


Let's say the market for Hauser next year is $15m per year for 3 years, plus the $2m he's owed this year, that's $47m over 4 years.  Sign him now to a $10-11m per year deal for 4 years?

[Phantom255x]

Personally I would prioritize keeping Tillman over him. But idk... if they can keep Hauser and Tillman that would be great lol. I just wouldn't want a Hauser extension to mean both of Tillman/Kornet leave, we do need a 3rd big and potential Horford replacement which Tillman fits the mold of.

[Kuberski33]

Personally I would prioritize keeping Tillman over him. But idk... if they can keep Hauser and Tillman that would be great lol. I just wouldn't want a Hauser extension to mean both of Tillman/Kornet leave, we do need a 3rd big and potential Horford replacement which Tillman fits the mold of.

Tillman's decent but he's not in Al's league. Al's length and ability to guard 2's through 5's and his smarts will be very hard to replace. He's an above average 3 pt guy on top of that.

Tillman's place would be to take over for Kornet but I have a feeling the C's will struggle to keep either of them.

[Moranis]

How often do teams do this?  Because one incident comes to mind and it's Carlos Boozer.

Though a quick google search tells me Hauser's agent is Jason Glushon, and another search tells me his clients include Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, so he probably has a good working relationship with the C's and has a vested interest in helping keep the team good.


Someone would have to break down the tax bill this year vs future years, but I would think it also makes sense as an alternative way to keep an asset, because he's certainly on pace for a big pay day next year, and the C's are going to lose him for nothing and be forced to replace him with a minimum contract player the way things stand currently.  But if they sign him now, they can trade him away in a couple of years when their tax bill gets too big for a lesser salary, but someone more than the minimum (maybe in the $5-$8m range?).  Pay more in tax now, but increase future flexibility.


Let's say the market for Hauser next year is $15m per year for 3 years, plus the $2m he's owed this year, that's $47m over 4 years.  Sign him now to a $10-11m per year deal for 4 years?

he isn't going to take less money. The idea is by spreading the money over an extra year you lower the future, so in both cases he gets 48 million, so decline option re-sign him to 4 years 48 million or pick up option and then add 3 years 46 million on end.  Same dollars for Hauser, but the first path gets him more money sooner and lowers future cap burden in Celtics.  Second option, keeps Boston cap lower now and gives Hauser a bigger annual salary when his next contract rolls around.

[Moranis]

Also, I wouldn't pay him 15 million a year, even if he is worth it.  I don't think you can reasonably go above what Pritchard makes ans make the numbers work.  So I'd probably be looking at a trade for someone signed longer (maybe even trade him for a 1st rounder at draft tonight or a future 1st to provide more flexibility).

[Birdman]

15 million a year? No way, just like Grant wanted a lot of money but just isn?t worth that much

[bdm860]

How often do teams do this?  Because one incident comes to mind and it's Carlos Boozer.

Though a quick google search tells me Hauser's agent is Jason Glushon, and another search tells me his clients include Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, so he probably has a good working relationship with the C's and has a vested interest in helping keep the team good.


Someone would have to break down the tax bill this year vs future years, but I would think it also makes sense as an alternative way to keep an asset, because he's certainly on pace for a big pay day next year, and the C's are going to lose him for nothing and be forced to replace him with a minimum contract player the way things stand currently.  But if they sign him now, they can trade him away in a couple of years when their tax bill gets too big for a lesser salary, but someone more than the minimum (maybe in the $5-$8m range?).  Pay more in tax now, but increase future flexibility.


Let's say the market for Hauser next year is $15m per year for 3 years, plus the $2m he's owed this year, that's $47m over 4 years.  Sign him now to a $10-11m per year deal for 4 years?

he isn't going to take less money. The idea is by spreading the money over an extra year you lower the future, so in both cases he gets 48 million, so decline option re-sign him to 4 years 48 million or pick up option and then add 3 years 46 million on end.  Same dollars for Hauser, but the first path gets him more money sooner and lowers future cap burden in Celtics.  Second option, keeps Boston cap lower now and gives Hauser a bigger annual salary when his next contract rolls around.

I think he would absolutely take less money (not substantially less, but slightly less) for 3 reasons: time value of money ($10m today is worth more than $10m next year), and negates injury risk (even though he's always been healthy, he's still a fluke knee/back injury or car accident or cancer diagnosis away from losing it all), and/or having a poor season that could hurt his value (look at Duncan Robinson, he doesn't get the same contract if he signs a year or two later, or all the players that bet on themselves and lost: Noel, Schroder, etc.).

This happens all the time with extensions (not Hauser's specific situation, but taking less money than you might get in the open market to sign early).

[Roy H.]

Also, I wouldn't pay him 15 million a year, even if he is worth it.  I don't think you can reasonably go above what Pritchard makes ans make the numbers work.  So I'd probably be looking at a trade for someone signed longer (maybe even trade him for a 1st rounder at draft tonight or a future 1st to provide more flexibility).

Make what numbers work?  The second apron penalties?

To me, we've got maybe a three year run left with the current team.  We may as well do everything in our power to maximize that run.  Then, at the end of it, you try to reset around JB and JT, with almost everybody else gone.

I'd give Hauser the 4 years, $48 million contract without a ton of hesitation.  That would still be below the MLE, and also less than what similar players have gotten on the open market.

[keevsnick]

So I've had the same thought as Hollinger, moving money to this year dramatically increases their tax this year but could ultimately save them money in the future becasue future tax years will have a high tax rate due to the repeater tax.

To me it depends on what your plans are for Hauser long term. If you plan on keeping him next year then trading him in 2025 then there's not much need to move money onto this year. If you plan to keep him for the long term then it makes sense to move money to this year.

Either way you SHOULD sign him to an extension, if he's making 13-15 million on the first year of an extension i still think he's be easily tradable into cap space for future draft capital. His player type is always sought after.

[liam]

If they can't work out a deal with Hauser, I hope they can, I hope Baylor Scheierman is there at 30.

[Moranis]

How often do teams do this?  Because one incident comes to mind and it's Carlos Boozer.

Though a quick google search tells me Hauser's agent is Jason Glushon, and another search tells me his clients include Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, so he probably has a good working relationship with the C's and has a vested interest in helping keep the team good.


Someone would have to break down the tax bill this year vs future years, but I would think it also makes sense as an alternative way to keep an asset, because he's certainly on pace for a big pay day next year, and the C's are going to lose him for nothing and be forced to replace him with a minimum contract player the way things stand currently.  But if they sign him now, they can trade him away in a couple of years when their tax bill gets too big for a lesser salary, but someone more than the minimum (maybe in the $5-$8m range?).  Pay more in tax now, but increase future flexibility.


Let's say the market for Hauser next year is $15m per year for 3 years, plus the $2m he's owed this year, that's $47m over 4 years.  Sign him now to a $10-11m per year deal for 4 years?

he isn't going to take less money. The idea is by spreading the money over an extra year you lower the future, so in both cases he gets 48 million, so decline option re-sign him to 4 years 48 million or pick up option and then add 3 years 46 million on end.  Same dollars for Hauser, but the first path gets him more money sooner and lowers future cap burden in Celtics.  Second option, keeps Boston cap lower now and gives Hauser a bigger annual salary when his next contract rolls around.

I think he would absolutely take less money (not substantially less, but slightly less) for 3 reasons: time value of money ($10m today is worth more than $10m next year), and negates injury risk (even though he's always been healthy, he's still a fluke knee/back injury or car accident or cancer diagnosis away from losing it all), and/or having a poor season that could hurt his value (look at Duncan Robinson, he doesn't get the same contract if he signs a year or two later, or all the players that bet on themselves and lost: Noel, Schroder, etc.).

This happens all the time with extensions (not Hauser's specific situation, but taking less money than you might get in the open market to sign early).

8 million a year earlier is not worth 8 million less overall in 4 years.  There is certainly some increased value of getting the extra 8 million now, but no where near enough to make up for significantly more money in year 2, 3 and 4.  Which is why I don't think he takes less total. He doesn't really have much incentive to do so, especially when it makes his finals year much lower (which matters for future extensions and contracts).