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Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens prior to a game against the Miami Heat in May 2022

The Boston Celtics have already been active in the NBA rumor mill and the offseason hasn’t truly even begun.

Early on, they have become one of the top teams talked about in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes. While that option could be a real scenario to watch, there are other moves the Celtics have been linked to potentially making.

A new take has shared a player that Boston might end up trading away this offseason.

Sam Quinn of CBS Sports has named Celtics’ wing Sam Hauser as one of the top 50 NBA offseason trade candidates to watch.

“The Celtics have a $27.6 million trade exception thanks to the Anfernee Simons deal in February, but even if they shed some non-guaranteed money, they’re only looking at about $14 million in room below the luxury tax,” Quinn wrote.

“The Celtics will prioritize staying below the tax line next season, as doing so will reset their repeater tax clock. Trading Hauser is a way for them to both use that trade exception to absorb an expensive player and stay below the tax line in the process.”

Celtics Moving on From Sam Hauser Would Be Tough Decision

Hauser has become a very important role player for Boston over the last couple of years. He has also provided elite three-point shooting for the Celtics.

Making the decision to move on from him would be a tough one to make.

Throughout the course of the 2025-26 NBA season with Boston, Hauser played in 78 games and made 49 starts. He averaged 9.2 points per game to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while also shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and 39.3 percent from three-point range.

Keeping Hauser would obviously be the preferred outcome for the Celtics, but he isn’t an untouchable player. If Boston had to include him in a deal or trade him to free up space for a bigger move, the team might have to part ways with him.

However, it’s just an idea and this isn’t a report that the Celtics are looking to trade Hauser.

What Would It Take for Boston to Acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo?

After mentioning the Antetokounmpo rumors earlier in this article, we can’t simply move past it without talking about the possibility.

If Boston is truly interested in the Milwaukee Bucks‘ superstar, what would it take for Brad Stevens to get a deal done? Obviously, it would be an extremely expensive blockbuster trade.

Just as a starting point, the Bucks will be looking for multiple first-round picks. Jaylen Brown is a name that has come up quite often in rumors, although many of those rumors would see him heading to a third team. The Celtics would likely have to give up other players as well.

Should Boston actually pursue Antetokounmpo? He would be a perfect fit for the Celtics, but they shouldn’t overpay to get him. As currently constructed, the team is a championship contender.

Only time will tell, but the rumors are likely not going anywhere anytime soon.