Head coach Billy Donovan reworked the Chicago Bulls’ offense last season, moving from an iso-based, half-court scheme to a run-and-gun, three-point-heavy system. The Boston Celtics just experienced an embarrassing playoff exit and are about to undergo a roster overhaul. It’s a perfect storm for the Bulls to swoop in and trade for Sam Hauser.
Admittedly, Chicago needs a multitude of defense-first players on its roster. Donovan’s squad allowed the third-most points per game of any team in the NBA in 2024-25 and the most points in the paint. An athletic rim-protector and lockdown wing defenders should top vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas’ summer wish list.
But Hauser would be a shrewd acquisition for several reasons.
Sam Hauser would make the Bulls’ offense even more potent
The Celtics have almost no choice but to shed payroll this offseason. As ESPN cap and front office guru Bobby Marks points out, Boston is projected to bypass the second apron for the second consecutive year, which would severely limit the team’s ability to make roster alterations.
Add that to the devastating Achilles injury franchise superstar Jayson Tatum suffered, which could keep him out all of next season, and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens will surely be wheeling and dealing to some extent.
Enter the Bulls and enter Hauser.
The 27-year-old played a bench role for the majority of his four seasons in Boston, but his minutes and impact gradually increased every year. He played in 26 games and averaged 6.1 minutes in 2021-22, but played 230 games and started 40 in the three campaigns since.
Most importantly for Chicago, he shot 42.0 percent from three on 5.2 attempts per game over those three seasons, and although he’ll never be confused with a defensive stopper, he’s a fairly burly 6-foot-8 and has pulled down nearly six rebounds per 36 minutes during his time in Boston.
He’ll be heading into the first year of a four-year, $44 million contract, a wildly team-friendly deal, especially considering the role he’ll play with the Bulls, which would presumably be a bigger one than he played with the Celtics.
Hauser isn’t a perfect fit for a team that needs to add defense at all three levels. But his ability to play either forward spot next to Matas Buzelis, an uber-athlete who could make up for his defensive deficiencies, and his skill as a dead-eye spot-up shooter in a lineup with playmakers like Josh Giddey and Coby White, would make Hauser a solid, inexpensive addition who Chicago could add without giving up a ton of draft capital or key rotation players.
