The Boston Celtics dropped some major news on Thursday when current owner Wyc Grousbeck agreed to sell the team to Symphony Technology Group managing partner Bill Chisholm for $6.1 billion. It went down as the largest sale of a North American professional sports franchise and surpassed Josh Harris’s $6.05 billion purchase of the NFL’s Washington Commanders in 2023.
But while the record-breaking sale is exciting for the parties involved, it raises plenty of questions for Celtics fans. New ownership means different philosophies when it comes to the financial aspects of a team. While some owners believe in free-spending to win championships, others focus on “right sizing their business,” even if it comes at the cost of angering the fan base.
It’s become big news even as the Celtics close in on the top seed in the Eastern Conference and look to defend their NBA title in the coming months. But Chisholm put some of those fears to rest when he talked with ESPN’s Shams Charania over the weekend.
New Celtics Owner Has No Plans to Change Things Up After Record-Breaking Sale
Charania posted on X that Chisholm is happy with the place the Celtics are in as he takes over the team. While he won’t be the team’s governor and CEO until the end of the 2027-28 season, he also hinted that he isn’t on the verge of major changes due to the job Grousbeck has done building the Celtics into one of the NBA’s premiere franchises.
“The team is in a great place right now and I”m very sensitive to that,” Chisholm said via Charania. “Wyc, [general manager Brad Stevens] and [head coach Joe Mazzulla] have done amazing jobs. …My approach is to win and raise banners. That’s in the near term and the long term.”
Chisholm also expressed his fandom for the Celtics as a reason he pursued the franchise for a record price.
“I bleed green,” Chisholm said. “I love the Celtics. When the opportunity came up, I couldn’t pass it up. Wyc has done an incredible job. So why would you mess that up? I’ve had a couple of sitdowns with [Stevens] and it’s been about aligning our goals, and extending the window of this team.”
The excitement of Chisholm is palpable. But like a proud new homeowner, the Celtics come with a series of hidden costs. Mazzulla and Stevens aren’t going anywhere coming off an NBA title. But the roster remains an issue thanks to a projected $230 million salary that’s way above the NBA’s second apron.
Paying that number – and the $270 million tax penalty that comes with it – doesn’t appear to be a concern to Chisholm. But it becomes a problem considering the roster building penalties for a team above the second apron. The penalties, which range from freezing first-round picks to multiple trade restrictions, make it difficult to field a championship-caliber roster and caused Grousbeck to make a bold prediction about the future of the NBA.
“You can’t stay in the second apron. Nobody will,” Grousbeck said during an interview on WEEI on Friday. “I predict for the next 40 years of the CBA no one’s going to stay in the second apron for more than two years. …It’s not the luxury-tax bill. It’s the basketball penalties, OK? The new CBA was designed by the league to stop teams from going crazy. And they decided that it’s not just good enough to go after the wallets.”
With Jaylen Brown ($53.1 million), Jayson Tatum ($54.1 million), Jrue Holiday ($32.4 million), Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7 million) and Derrick White ($28.1 million) carrying massive salaries for next season, it’s possible the Celtics will make a move or two to get under the second apron. But while they may have to make a tough decision, it appears Chisholm is ready to give any financial decision the green light.
