Sam Hauser averaged 9.0 points per game this past season as one of the top reserves for the NBA champion Celtics. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
The Boston Celtics picked up the fourth-year option on forward Sam Hauser’s contract, a league source confirmed to MassLive on Saturday. The option will keep Hauser in Boston on a $2.1 million deal for the 2024-25 season, and the sides will reportedly talk about an extension.
Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens confirmed Thursday that signing Hauser to an extension is an offseason priority.
“I would just say that I’m not going to get into the particulars of what decisions we’ll make with each guy and their contracts,” Stevens said. “But I will say we want Hauser to be here for a long time.”
The Celtics will be eligible to extend Hauser for 140 percent of the estimated average league salary, beginning on July 9, for up to four years. Boston could offer up to four years and $78 million for a full-max extension. The sharpshooter’s price tag is not expected to be that high, however.
Hauser played 79 regular-season games in his third season with the Celtics, helping Boston win its 18th NBA title. He averaged 22 minutes and 9.0 points, and shot 42.4% from 3-point range.
PISTONS: Detroit extended a qualifying offer to Simone Fontecchio, making him a restricted free agent.
If Fontecchio receives an offer sheet next week or later this offseason, Detroit can match it and retain the 28-year-old Italian.
The Pistons added Fontecchio in February from Utah in a three-team trade. The Jazz acquired Detroit’s second-round selection as part of the deal and used it to take Duke’s Kyle Filipowski with the No. 32 overall pick.
Fontecchio averaged 15.4 points and 4.4 rebounds, making 42.6% of 3-pointers, in 16 games with the Pistons. The 6-foot-8 small forward has averaged 8.6 points over two NBA seasons.
LAKERS: LeBron James is not opting into what would have been a $51.4 million contract for this coming season and instead will seek a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, a person with knowledge of the decision said.
The terms of the new deal could be finalized quickly, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither James nor the Lakers revealed the decision publicly.
It was expected that James would technically be a free agent. It’s also been expected that he would stay with the Lakers.
The Lakers selected Bronny James – LeBron James’ oldest son – on Thursday in the second round of the draft, putting them in position to have the first on-court father-son duo in NBA history. And with a new deal, it’s even possible that LeBron James could sign for a lower number than he could have commanded to give the Lakers additional financial flexibility for other moves.
LeBron James is a four-time champion and is about $20 million shy of becoming the first player in league history to top $500 million in on-court earnings. Add in his many off-court ventures and investments, and his net worth has been presumed to be more than $1 billion for some time now.
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