Celtics Rumors: Record $6.1 Billion Franchise Sale To Be Finalized

Despite looming concerns over the pending $6.1 billion sale of the Boston Celtics that is set to make Bill Chisholm the franchise’s next majority owner, the record-breaking purchase is expected to finalize.

Chisholm was announced as the team’s owner-in-waiting choice following months of conversations and meetings with candidates, carefully curated by current majority owner Wyc Grousbeck and company. We’re six weeks removed from when Chisholm went from an unknown businessman from Massachusetts to the most researched man in Boston, with many wondering whether or not the 56-year-old had the funds to seal the deal.

The latest Chisholm scoop, reported Thursday by Ben Horney of Front Office Sports, reveals that the record-setting deal — the largest deal for a franchise in North American sports history — should be good to go within the next week.

“Lead buyer Bill Chisholm’s group now has enough money to cover the cost of the deal and is in fact ‘oversubscribed,'” Horney wrote. “The group will acquire more than 51% of the franchise in the first tranche of the deal, one source says. The exact size stake Chisholm will end up owning is still unclear.”

Horney added: “The full sale will still take place in two parts, one source says, and existing minority owners will have the ability to retain their positions until 2028. “

Chisholm had been linked to rumors ever since his purchase was made public in March, suggesting that the Dartmouth College graduate had been recruiting additional investors. The idea was that since Chisholm was said not to have the required 15% (or $915 million) needed for his majority owner tag, under the NBA’s rules, Chisholm could instead expand his ownership group. Those rumors continued to leak, as Chisholm began attending games leading into Boston’s first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic.

The outside pressure and speculation began to amplify once NBA commissioner Adam Silver offered a dry response to the sale during the annual board of governors press conference in New York. Silver mentioned that the league hadn’t offered its fine-tooth comb yet, leaving Chisholm to await approval from the board this summer.

That gave Chisholm a slim multi-month window to recruit new investors, if that was the plan to help bring the process to a close and tackle the next step: figuring out Boston’s (very) expensive payroll this offseason.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens did everything possible to retain as much of the team’s championship-winning roster, including coming to terms on a record-large $135 million supermax extension with star Jayson Tatum. That was the most predictable Celtics-related offseason move. However, it amplified the already-tricky situation inherited upon joining the organization.

Now, teams across the league are anticipating a yard sale-like approach from Boston’s front office this upcoming offseason, to alleviate what’s projected to become a $500 million payroll, the first in NBA history.

“Right now, Boston is fully focused on winning a championship,” ESPN’s Shams Charania told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday. “Like, that is the No. 1 focus right now — it’s repeating. But I can tell you, the rest of the league is bracing for some level of change to come to the Celtics from their roster this offseason. And sources have been telling me for weeks now that the Celtics will be exploring trade options this offseason.”

Several members of Boston’s current roster could fit the mold as a trade candidate, including forward Sam Hauser, who signed a four-year, $45 million extension last offseason. Hauser’s $10 million annual salary for 2025-26, for example, could cost the Celtics an additional $80 million in luxury tax penalties, per the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

Grousbeck will be alongside Chisholm throughout the upcoming critical offseason and will remain in his current role until 2028.