It sounds like Bill Chisholm is finally closing the deal for the Celtics sale
NBA rules threatened to hold up the impending sale of the team, but Chisholm’s group is now expected to finalize the deal soon.
Apr 4, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Bill Chisholm, center, who leads a group that is buying the Boston Celtics, stands with current owner Wyc Grousbeck and Chisholm’s wife, Kimberly Chisholm before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns at TD Garden.
Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn ImagesThe Boston Celtics sale is just about complete.
Bill Chisholm, has secured enough funding on his own end to secure the deal, according to Ben Horney at Front Office Sports. The Celtics sale "will be finalized within the next week or so and the deal structure will be compliant with NBA private-equity ownership rules."
Chisholm's group needed to invest a higher percentage of its own money in order for the sale to be approved under NBA rules, as they relate to private equity ownership. The private equity firm Sixth Street Partners had previously committed more money than Chisholm's group. According to Front Office Sports, Chisholm's side will now acquire more than 51% of the team. His specific ownership stake is unknown, but per rules, it needs to be at least 15%.
The Celtics sale is still expected to be completed in two parts, with an ultimate price tag of $7.3 billion. Wyc Grousbeck is expected to remain as CEO and governor over the next three seasons as part of the deal.
Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn ImagesBill Chisholm (center)
News of the finalization of the sale is coinciding with a report by ESPN's Shams Charania that the Celtics are expecting "some level of change" to come to the roster in the offseason. The C's are on track for a payroll around $500 million, so the organization is "bracing" (in Charania's words) for change.
That will inevitably tie back to Chisholm, and ostensibly, his desire to simply cut costs in the wake of spending $7.3 billion on the Celtics sale. It's understandable from a business standpoint, but cause for concern as to the quality of the roster going forward.
President of basketball ops Brad Stevens has a tricky summer ahead of him. He'll likely need to assemble a roster that can deliver similar production - and, ultimately, more NBA championships - at a lower cost. It seems the days of exorbitant spending are over, and the time for value is now.
Until then, the Celtics as currently constructed have a legitimate chance to repeat as NBA champions. The next step toward that begins Monday, when they take on the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the second round.
