Report: Celtics sign Sam Hauser to two-way contract
The Celtics made a move for undrafted forward Sam Hauser following the 2021 NBA Draft.
Mar 11, 2021; Greensboro, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Sam Hauser (10) drives to the basket against the Syracuse Orange in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 ACC tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. The Virginia Cavaliers won 72-69. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics' work extended beyond the drafting of Juhann Begarin with the No. 45 overall pick on Thursday night, as the team also signed undrafted forward Sam Hauser to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania.
Standing at 6-foot-8, Hauser will embark on his pro career with the Celtics after a four-year collegiate career that started with three years at Marquette before a 2020-21 senior season with Virginia. And there's no doubt that Hauser was at his best upon the move to Virginia, as he averaged a career-best 15.8 points and shot nearly 52 percent in 23 games for the Cavaliers.
Including his postseason figures, Hauser led the ACC in three-point percentage (41.7 percent), and finished second in three-pointers made per game (2.5), sixth in field goal percentage (50.3), and seventh in point per game (16.0).
All of that was enough to push the Wisconsin native to All-ACC First Team and Julius Erving Award finalist honors.
Hauser's signing makes him the first Celtic to sign a two-way contract for the upcoming 2021-22 season.
The Celtics spent the 2020-21 season with center Tacko Fall and guard Tremont Waters signed to two-way contracts, and it will be interesting to see how the Hauser signings impacts both players. Not only was 2020-21 the second year on a two-way contract for both Fall and Waters (which means 2021-22 would be the final year of eligibility for such a deal for both players), but teams are only allowed to have two players signed to two-way contracts at a time. In other words, someone's gotta go.
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.
