Boston Celtics could have another Grant Williams situation in 2025 free agency

CelticsBlog's Bobby Manning fears the Boston Celtics having itself another Grant Williams situation during 2025 free agency with Sam Hauser continuing to provide value in Joe Mazzulla's rotation and the wing's contract expiring after a 2024-25 club option the Cs would be crazy not to exercise.

"If Hauser’s ascent continues, he’ll need a new contract for 2025-26, challenging Boston the same way Grant Williams did last summer," Manning prefaced before saying, "That’s the risk the Celtics took in consolidating the roster under the new collective bargaining agreement."

Manning sees finding the next Hauser on the wing, and next Luke Kornet in the frontcourt, are the key goals moving forward for Mazzulla's coaching staff.

"Soon, their future picks seven years out will freeze as tradable assets," Manning prefaced before saying, "That makes the development of Banton important, identified as an early Joe Mazzulla favorite off the bench, and finding the next Hauser and Kornet more important as Walsh begins his career with a modest start in Maine, averaging 14.1 points per game on 40.6% shooting."

Boston Celtics cap sheet could be plugged up by 2025

Let's say the Celtics raise Banner 18 in the TD Garden next fall. That will inevitably lead to an extension for Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, leaving there practically no wiggle room to work with given the supermax deals Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will have by then, plus Kristaps Porzingis's extension.

By 2025, we're talking about a capped out team that's being taxed to hell and back by the league. At that point, ponying up for Hauser won't be on the table unless he's willing to take a hometown discount.

The best chance Hauser has of sticking around is Holiday and Horford calling it careers in 2025 and the Cs needing to keep continuity alongside their Big Four of Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, and White.