Mar 11, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (30) celebrates with teammates guard Payton Pritchard (11), and forward Oshae Brissett (12) during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Lakers Linked to Celtics Sharpshooter as Potential Shooting Upgrade

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Sam Garcia | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers showed their dedication to winning an NBA championship when they gave superstar Luka Doncic a three-year, $165 million contract extension on Saturday.

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Doncic has also expressed his strong desire to lead Los Angeles to their first NBA title since 2020. Now, the Lakers need to build around the five-time NBA All-Star to reach that goal.

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A group of NBA insiders gave several suggestions for how the Lakers could go about building a championship roster. One suggestion was to trade for Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen or Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser.

Hauser, who will turn 28 in December, has already won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2024 and has four seasons of playoff experience. Boston has made two NBA Finals appearances and one Eastern Conference Finals appearance in Hauser’s four seasons on the team.

Hauser is coming off another strong season following the Celtics’ championship run. He averaged 8.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.2 assists, while posting a 45.1 field goal percentage and shooting 41.6 percent from beyond the arc during the 2024-25 season.

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The Celtics recently traded veteran forward Georges Niang and two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz for rookie guard RJ Lewis Jr. Boston had acquired Niang in a trade involving Kristaps Porzingis with the Atlanta Hawks earlier this summer.

Boston wanted to shed some salary over the offseason, so trading Niang seemed to be on their agenda ever since they received him in the trade. The Celtics are now under the second apron of the luxury tax but could continue to make some moves to increase their financial flexibility.

Hauser agreed to a four-year, $45 million contract extension last offseason. If the Celtics are open to trading Hauser, who has been a key part of their team for several seasons, he could be a good fit for the Lakers.

Los Angeles would need to send Boston a big offer for Hauser, but the Lakers have shown they are determined to create a roster that can win a championship with Doncic at the center.