How Celtics Feel About Upcoming Sale, Wyc Grousbeck’s Departure

BOSTON — Wyc Grousbeck’s final days as majority Celtics owner have placed a countdown clock on the organization before a new face is welcomed to the franchise, adding an unfamiliar component to its anticipated 2024-25 title defense campaign.

It’s been 22 years since the last time Boston’s most successful sports team sold — for $360 million to Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca — but now with two more Larry O’Brien trophies added to the trophy case, the next chapter is among the Celtics.

Grousbeck’s leadership and consistent fan transparency are all Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have known since growing from homegrown draftees to recipients of the first and second-largest contracts signed, respectively, in NBA history. It raises some cause for concern that Grousbeck, who commissioned Boston’s front office to go all-in last offseason and spent over $500 million to maintain that championship core this offseason, won’t be the ownership group’s head honcho in the near future.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver, although “saddened” by Grousbeck’s upcoming departure, insinuated the league might give Boston the green light to resort to an alternative transaction style: tiered payments — similar to how the Minnesota Timberwolves sold to Alex Rodriguez, Zac Lore, and Michael Bloomberg in 2021. The franchise valued at $4.7 billion before this season, according to Forbes, explaining the seemingly stagnant bidding rush for the NBA’s most expensive starting lineup.

Nevertheless, the 18-time champion Celtics aren’t worried.

Here’s what several of the organization’s current members said about the soon-to-be transfer of ownership powers during Celtics media day on Tuesday at Auerbach Center:

Brad Stevens
“There’s not much that (the front office) is doing. Obviously, it’s out of our hands. As I’ve said before, I’m super thankful to Wyc and Irv (Grousbeck) and their family for everything they’ve done for us throughout this entire tenure, and our great investor group that we have. We’ve had really good leadership around here and they’ve basically said, ‘Hey obviously we’ve put a team together. This has been a long-term plan, to be where we are right now.’ Plans don’t always go the way you want them to. This one, so far, has been pretty smooth but there will always be challenges that come along with that. The way that they’ve phrased it to me from the standpoint of since the sale was announced was we just need to keep doing what we’re doing, and business as usual and do what you can to build the best team that we can and we’ll see what happens from there.”

Jaylen Brown
“I’ve had the honor to build relationships with the ownership group that we’ve had. And it’s been a partnership that we’ve worked continuously on and off the floor to be able to lead to the championship that we’ve just achieved. Obviously with that ownership group switching there will be some learning and growing that will need to be met in order to get accustomed, but hopefully it’s a smooth transition — that’s what we all hope for. But we’ll have to just wait and see.”

Jrue Holiday
“I guess the money side and (Wyc) selling, that’s kind of him. That’s his situation. I think for me I try to control what I can control and that’s coming in here every day trying to reach that ultimate goal, which is winning another championship. I guess, best of luck to Wyc. I don’t really know what to tell him. But I think for the most part we try to come in here every day and take care of business and we’ll try to continue to do that.”

Boston’s vibes remained high-spirited and eager but also determined — and for good reason. Most of the reigning championship roster is back for a re-run with no signs of ownership interfering and Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has already begun relaying all the right messages to the team at training camp, prepping for Opening Night on Oct. 22 against the New York Knicks.