Zolak & Bertrand: Problem with the Sam Hauser extension?

Tim McKone and Joe Murray, who are filling in for Zolak and Bertrand, discuss the Celtics recently deciding to sign Sam Hauser to an extension, reportedly worth up to four-year, $45 million, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpeQfvoVlLU I don't think this group will get complacent... McKone: How you feeling about this last contract? Murray: Sure. Pay him. It's not their money. McKone: This feels like the rich kid in college that has his parents just pay for everything and just throws it on a credit card. It's like, 'Yeah, whatever. Not my problem, right?' Murray: Not your money. This is actually a good deal for the Celtics. So for the people who are like, 'Oh, what's this deal going to look like in 2028 or whatever?' These deals are going to look cheap. There's going to be a new TV deal that comes in. People are going to get huge contracts. And just to bring this up, Immanuel Quickley got what $249 million? OG Anunoby got big money. They got Derrick White and Sam Hauser this summer for literally less than what those players are getting. So when I look at the Sam Hauser deal, I think it's something they wanted to do. I think they got him on the option and then worked out the deal, but at $11 million for a guy who was fourth in the NBA — I remind you in — 3-point attempts, fourth in the NBA off your bench, who can play a little bit of defense and actually play playoff basketball for $11 million a year. It's cheaper than just some of these other players that have signed this offseason. So I'm fine with it, but long term, yeah, they've resigned everybody. But who's paying the bill? That $450 million tax bill that's coming up, I'm sure that's just going to get passed right over to somebody else. But at this point, they've locked up everyone, Tim. I don't know what it does for them when it comes to moving on from some of these guys that's what I think about how do you keep it all together for so long with all the tax penalties? But this year, this is a cheap deal. McKone: Yeah, and look for this season, I think you are squarely the favorite to win the championship again. I agree with you, by the way, some of these contracts, these players aren't going to be on the Celtics by the time they're up. A guy like a Jrue Holiday, someone like that, I could see them eventually offloading here as we get further down the line, but coming into next year, you have every single key piece locked up. I would say, Joe, one of my concerns would be potentially that all right now everyone has a long term deal. Is there a sense of sort of just kind of complacency that sets in with all these guys because they've gotten paid? But then you look at sort of the resumes. Sam Hauser, undrafted guy has had to work for it throughout his career, Derrick White, certainly not a player that you would point to and say he's going to take a step back. We know that Jaylen Brown doesn't do that, and based on everything that's gone on with the Olympics and things like that, you would expect that he is going to be fired up and sort of play with an edge, and Jayson Tatum gets his long term contract this year. So I don't think it's a team built on, and throw Jrue Holiday that got the extension in the season, I don't think this is a team that's built on guys that would sort of get complacent now that they got paid either. Listen to the full segment! https://omny.fm/shows/zolak-bertrand-1/zolak-bertrand-problem-with-the-sam-hauser-extensi/embed