The Detroit Pistons could use an injection of 3-point shooting, and the Boston Celtics may have just the guy in Sam Hauser, who Detroit could potentially get for nothing.
This wouldn’t be the blockbuster move some impatient fans are looking for, but the Pistons have made it clear that they are not interested in disrupting their chemistry or core for short-term gains.
Hauser is hardly a guy who is going to push Detroit over the top when it comes to their title chances this season, but he’s a sharpshooter on a reasonable contract who they can add without giving up much of anything.
Detroit Pistons rumors: Boston is trying to get out of the luxury tax
Boston is an interesting team heading into the trade deadline, as they entered this season thinking they’d likely take a step back without Jayson Tatum in the lineup. Instead, they are in the top three of a so-so Eastern Conference and wondering what to do next.
Boston would currently be in the luxury tax, which I am sure they don’t want to pay if they don’t believe their team has a legit chance in the playoffs, but it’s also hard to just give up on your squad when they have outperformed expectations and would currently host a playoff series.
It will be difficult for the Celtics to be buyers at the deadline, so even though they are a top three team in the East right now, they may have to unload contracts, and Sam Hauser is the obvious choice, as ditching him gets them most of the way there.
Sam Hauser fits the Pistons financially, but what about on the court?
The Pistons have a trade exception that is more than enough to absorb Hauser’s salary without sending anything back, so if the Celtics are desperate to get under the tax, the Pistons could potentially get Hauser without giving up any players.
If Detroit is interested in making a move without disrupting the core, this one stands out as a possibility, as Boston cannot take any money back.
Hauser has shot over 41 percent from long range for his career, though he has only shot just over 37 percent this season. But he’s been on a tear since December, and there is no reason to believe he won’t get back to his norms.
The Pistons are near the bottom of the league in 3-point makes per game as well as percentage, so even at the lower end of his shooting numbers, Hauser would be an upgrade. He’d also give them some insurance against another Duncan Robinson injury and give the Pistons another sharpshooter they can insert from the bench to balance out their defense-heavy lineups.
We’ve talked about Hauser in the past, and though I don’t see him as the kind of impact upgrade some fans are clamoring for, he’s a great shooter on a team-friendly deal and the Pistons may be able to get him for free.