SAM Hauser

Hauser scored 11 points with 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 18.2 minutes in Boston's loss to Detroit on Oct. 20. He was a plus-5.0 in that game, so the Celtics were better with him on the floor even in a defeat. Before that he had 6 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 18.4 minutes in the Oct. 14 win over Charlotte, where he posted a plus-23.0. On Oct. 10 against Philadelphia he had 11 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in 20.6 minutes with a plus-27.0. His Oct. 8 line against Cleveland shows zeros across the board in 0.0 minutes, which lines up with the rest listing that day. Across the three games he played, Boston outscored opponents by a wide margin during his minutes.

Last season, in 2025-26, Hauser played 78 games for Boston and averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.8 minutes. He shot 41.9 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from three and 85.0 percent from the line. His true shooting percentage was 59.0, a strong number for a player with a 14.1 usage rate. He averaged 0.5 steals, 0.3 blocks and just 0.4 turnovers, and his plus-minus was a plus-4.7. The profile is clear. He takes few possessions, rarely gives the ball away, and makes the shots he takes. That is why Boston's lineups tend to look better when he is on the floor. The 78 games also show durability, which matters for a rotation wing.

Hauser's last stretch of games last season was a series against Philadelphia that ended May 2 with a Celtics loss. Boston won the first two games on April 24 and April 26, with Hauser scoring 6 points in each. The Sixers then took four straight on April 28, April 30 and May 2, plus the April 21 game. Hauser's best game of the series came in the finale, with 11 points and 3 rebounds in 29.8 minutes. He also pulled down 5 rebounds on April 28 and 4 rebounds in three other games. His minutes ran from 17.9 to 29.8 across the series. His plus-minus swung heavily, from a plus-13.0 on April 26 to a minus-21.0 on April 28.

The main question is whether Hauser's minutes climb back toward last season's 24.8 per game as the rest listings fade. He has been under 21 minutes in each game so far. His scoring has been steady, with 11 points in two of three outings, and the team's plus-minus during his minutes has been excellent. There are no rumors attached to him at the moment, and no injury concerns beyond the early-season rest days. For Boston, the value is simple. He spaces the floor, hits free throws at 85.0 percent, and almost never turns it over. Expect him to keep getting rotation minutes as long as he stays healthy, and watch whether the Celtics loosen the rest schedule.