Celtics Rumors

Celtics Reportedly Expect 4-5 Initial Ownership Bids

The Celtics are expecting to receive a minimum of four ownership bids from prospective investment groups when the first round of the sale process closes on January 23, a source with direct knowledge of the process tells Michael Silverman of The Boston Globe (subscription required). A fifth bid is also a possibility, Silverman reports.

Current co-owner Steve Pagliuca is spearheading a consortium that will be making a bid, according to Silverman, but the identities of the control heads for the other groups remain a mystery, at least for now. Another current minority stakeholder, Robert Hale, expressed interest in becoming majority owner or joining a group in October, and he told Silverman he’s “still hanging around the hoop.”

Fenway Sports Group and Mark Bezos are reportedly among the other potential bidders. The founding partner of HighPost Capital private equity group, Bezos is the half-brother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The Grousbeck family announced on July 1 that it was putting the team up for sale, just a few weeks after the Celtics won their 18th championship. According to Silverman, the Grousbecks expect the final sale price to exceed $6 billion.

As Silverman writes, the Grousbecks and the investment banks advising them on the sale process are expected to review the first round of bids until sometime in February. At that point, two groups will be selected for a final round of bidding, unless one initial bid “meets the family’s expectations.”

If there’s a final round involving two bidders, it could take weeks or even months before a new owner is announced, Silverman adds.

The plan remains for the sale process to be conducted in two phases, with the new group controlling 51% of the franchise at some point in the first half of 2025. The remaining 49% would be sold in 2028.

Governor Wyc Grousbeck hopes to remain in that role until 2028, though it’s unclear if bidders will be open to that idea after he has given up his controlling interest in the first phase of the sale.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Starting Lineup, Roster Moves, Mazzulla

After scoring 23 points in 23 minutes on Friday, Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis expressed hope that he might be available for tonight’s game against Atlanta, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Porzingis is officially listed as questionable, but if he’s able to take the court, it would mark his first back-to-back since returning from offseason surgery.

“I believe so,” Porzingis responded when asked if he felt he could be ready. “But that’s a little bit out of my hands. I think tomorrow we’ll know more information.”

Robb notes that Al Horford won’t be available because he also played in Friday’s game, and the Celtics haven’t used him on both nights of a back-to-back over the past two years. The final decision on Porzingis will be made by the medical staff, and Robb points out that Boston is in the midst of playing five games in seven days, so there are reasons to exercise caution.

Porzingis has played in seven straight contests since returning from an ankle injury, and he has topped 20 points in three of his last five games.

There’s more from Boston:

  • Friday marked a vintage performance for the Celtics’ starters, who were considered one of the best five-man units in the league last season, Robb states in a separate story. Limited by Porzingis’ absence early on, the group had been together for just 10 games before Friday and had a -11.8 net rating in 147 minutes. They looked back to normal in the victory over Orlando, outscoring the Magic by 15 points in their 20 minutes on the court together. “Results can vary with plus/minus and things like that,” Jayson Tatum said. “But I think just how connected we were on both ends of the floor, especially on defense. Everybody was on the same page, we were connected, helping each other out. So regardless of the plus/minus, the way we went about it was a lot better today.”
  • The Celtics emphasized continuity in the offseason, bringing back virtually the same roster than won the title in 2024, but a small trade may be necessary to shake things up, Robb adds in a mailbag column. He also suggests it might be time to reduce the minutes for starting guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White in light of their recent struggles.
  • Coming off Wednesday’s embarrassing loss at Toronto, coach Joe Mazzulla encouraged his players to embrace the challenges that the NBA can present, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The team has been surprisingly average over the past month or so, and Porzingis said it lacked spirit and energy in the 13-point defeat against the lowly Raptors. “To me, this is the fun part of why you enter the arena,” Mazzulla said. “Anyone who is not in the arena, they don’t have a skin in the game. You enjoy it and it’s fun. This is why you do what you do. This is why you play for the Celtics. This is why you play in the NBA. This is why you go after something that’s extremely hard to do is for the challenge of it. And to have an expectation of it being anything other than challenging is the wrong way to attack. … You can’t only enjoy things when they go your way. That’s called being spoiled.”

Trade Rumors: Johnson, Claxton, Butler, Suns, Raptors, Sixers

Nets forward Cameron Johnson is considered one of the most players most likely to be moved at this year’s trade deadline, and people around the NBA believe Brooklyn will be open to listening on center Nic Claxton as well, according to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

However, at least one league executive who spoke to ESPN pointed out that Johnson’s and Claxton’s multiyear contracts mean the Nets won’t necessarily be operating with any sense of urgency on the trade market, even with the franchise focused on maximizing its odds in the 2025 draft lottery.

“The Nets asking price is high, and they (have made) it known they don’t feel like they have to trade them now,” that exec said. “But if they’re helping them win games, they’ll trade them or put them on the bench.”

Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams, and Celtics guard Jaden Springer were some of the other players mentioned as likely trade candidates by sources who spoke to Bontemps and Windhorst. Valanciunas and Williams are veterans who aren’t believed to be part of their rebuilding teams’ long-term plans, while moving Springer could reduce Boston’s end-of-season luxury tax bill.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from across the league:

  • Discussing Jimmy Butler‘s trade market, an executive who spoke to ESPN made it clear that Pat Riley and the Heat are fully prepared to take their time as they consider all their options. “The Heat don’t have to make a deal with Jimmy until the summer and don’t have to make a decision about the rest of this season until Feb. 6,” the exec said. “They don’t need to do anything in January and that’s how they’re conducting business.”
  • League sources tell Windhorst that the Suns have discussed using their remaining tradable first-round pick (for 2031) in “various talks around trying to acquire Butler.” Responding to that report, Suns insider John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 stated (via Twitter) that Phoenix hasn’t talked to the Heat about that 2031 pick and wouldn’t want to part with it in a straight-up trade for Butler. While that first-rounder would certainly be extremely valuable if it’s unprotected, it’s hard to see how the Suns could acquire Butler without giving it up — and even if the Suns are willing to move the pick, it’s unclear if that would be enough, given that it would come attached to Bradley Beal‘s unwieldy contract.
  • The Raptors appear to have some interest in getting involved in a potential Butler trade as a facilitator, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. When I considered Butler trade scenarios in a Front Office article earlier this month, I noted that Toronto makes sense as a possible third team due to the relatively favorable expiring contracts on the team’s books, including Bruce Brown ($23MM) and Chris Boucher ($10.8MM). If they’re incentivized to do so, the Raptors could potentially take on multiyear contracts and flip those expiring deals to Miami.
  • For now, the Sixers continue to focus on maximizing their potential for the current season, according to Bontemps. However, he acknowledges that stance could change depending on how the next two or three weeks play out. Philadelphia has a 15-24 record, will be without Joel Embiid for at least the next week, and will send its 2025 first-round pick to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top six.

Atlantic Notes: Edwards, George, Celtics, Hart, Nets

Sixers two-way rookie wing Justin Edwards is emerging for a team in need of silver linings, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The Philadelphia native scored 25 points on four three-pointers made, along with six rebounds and four assists on Tuesday against the Thunder.

Edwards’ role increased with eight players out for Philadelphia, leading to a career high in minutes played.

I think he’s really, really improving,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “Again, he gives a really good effort on the defensive end. He’s capable of guarding lots of positions defensively, and he’s got a good feel offensively. Again, the ball finds him because he’s moving to the right place at the right time. I thought he took a good number of threes that were there.

According to Pompey, Edwards credited the G League with his development this season. Edwards has appeared in 17 games for the Delaware Blue Coats this season, averaging 18.5 points per game on .474/.381/.880 shooting in the NBAGL. He didn’t play much at the NBA level to open the season, but has logged at least 12 minutes in six of the Sixers’ past seven games, averaging 9.7 PPG on 55.0% shooting during that stretch.

The Sixers signed Edwards to a two-way deal after he went undrafted in 2024. Like fellow two-way players Pete Nance and Jeff Dowtin, he’s on a one-year contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • After losing four straight games and seven of their last nine, the Sixers and Paul George aren’t giving up on what has been a disappointing season, Pompey writes in another story. George says he sees a light at the end of the tunnel with 43 games left in the season. Nurse expressed a similar sentiment, issuing a reminder that the Sixers’ big three of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have only played 10 games together — the club is 7-3 in those games.
  • The Celtics are facing a tough stretch this month despite owning the NBA’s third-best record at 28-12. The defending champions have mostly downplayed their recent struggles, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, but Himmelsbach says there was “a new, ominous air of frustration and urgency” following double-digit Wednesday loss to the 10-win Raptors on Wednesday. The Celtics have three losses – all by at least 13 points – in their last five games, eking out a one-point victory over the 10-win Pelicans during that stretch.
  • Josh Hart continues to prove he’s one of the league’s elite role players, averaging 14.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 56.6% from the field and 36.9% from three. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic observes, that stat line has never been accomplished by a player 6’8″ or shorter, which would make Hart the first if his statistics hold. In fact, the only players in league history to reach those minimum averages in a season are Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Larry Bird.
  • The Nets are exactly where they need to be in their rebuild, opines Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. While their Wednesday 59-point loss to the Clippers was the worst in franchise history, they have a coach in Jordi Fernandez who looks like a long-term solution, along with plenty of cap flexibility, draft capital and young players worth taking further looks at.

Celtics To Receive First Round Of Ownership Bids On Jan. 23

The Celtics‘ current majority owners will receive the first round of bids from prospective buyers on January 23, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. According to Himmelsbach, that information was conveyed on Tuesday in a letter from the Grousbeck family to the rest of the team’s stakeholders.

As Himmelsbach relays, that letter from the Grousbecks stated that the investment banks retained to manage the sale have been in contact with potential bidders in recent months. The Grousbeck family is said to be “pleased with the broad level of interest that has emerged” and is targeting a “first close” this spring, Himmelsbach adds.

The Celtics’ majority ownership group first announced on July 1 that it would be putting control of the franchise up for sale. The plan laid out at that time was to sell a majority share (ie. 51%) of the team in late 2024 or early 2025, with Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck remaining in his current role until the balance of the sale is completed in 2028.

That’s still the plan, Himmelsbach writes, though it’s unclear if bidders will be on board with the idea of having Grousbeck continue serving as a governor even after he has given up his controlling interest in the franchise.

The NBA may also have some reservations about a sale that plays out across several years, given what has transpired over the past year in Minnesota. However, it’s worth noting that the Timberwolves’ sale process saw prospective owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore buy in as minority shareholders, and it wasn’t until it came time for them to take over majority control that a dispute arose between their group and longtime owner Glen Taylor. It sounds like the plan in Boston would be for the Celtics’ buyer to obtain a controlling interest in the team sooner rather than later.

Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca suggested in early July that he intended to submit a bid for the franchise, with Fenway Sports Group identified in August as another possible bidder. Reporting in October indicated that minority shareholder Robert Hale and Mark Bezos, the founding partner of HighPost Capital private equity group and half-brother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, are among the other prospective buyers who could be in the mix.

Sportico’s latest NBA franchise valuations, published last month, estimated the Celtics’ value at $5.66 billion.

Celtics Notes: Close Call, Tatum, Porzingis, J. Green

The Celtics, who were booed by their home fans during Friday’s loss to Sacramento, narrowly avoided a more embarrassing defeat Sunday night, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The 8-32 Pelicans stayed even with the defending champions for a full 48 minutes and only lost when CJ McCollum‘s last-second floater bounced off the rim.

It continued roughly a month of inconsistent play for Boston, which is now 9-7 over its last 16 games, but coach Joe Mazzulla realizes that stretches like this should be expected during a long season.

“Every season is different, our journey [also]‚” he said. “With that being said, if you take a look at the perspective, there are things that we’re doing well. Most important is winning the game and making the necessary plays even when things aren’t going well. Every season brings on different challenges. Every season brings on different opportunities and the situation we’re in right now, we’ve got to just fight through it.”

New Orleans was more formidable on Sunday than its record would suggest. Zion Williamson was in the lineup for the second time since returning from a hamstring strain, and Trey Murphy was back after a three-game absence with a sprained left ankle. They teamed up with Dejounte Murray for the first time this season, and the three of them ignited the Pelicans’ offense by combining for 72 points.

The night was still a positive one for the Celtics, as Washburn notes that they gained a full game in the standings on top-seeded Cleveland for the first time since November 29.

“Maybe you don’t want to play your best basketball at the beginning of January,” Jayson Tatum said. “We’ve been through this before. We’ve still got a lot of time left to get back to our identity. It’s not supposed to be easy and we’re getting everybody’s best shot. New Orleans played really well. I don’t think they played like that all the time. But it was a good test for us. That’s just how it’s going to be.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • Tatum had a technical foul rescinded from a January 2 game at Minnesota, Washburn adds in a separate story. After being called for a foul, Tatum reacted with a hand slap, which has gotten him T’d up several times. However, he insisted that he was frustrated with himself rather than the call, and the league agreed.
  • Injuries have prevented Mazzulla from using his preferred starting five as much as he would like, and he has compared it to a training camp setting as he tries to get Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White on the court at the same time, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Porzingis, who missed the start of the season while recovering from surgery, is optimistic that he’s ready to be a regular fixture in that lineup. “The first game I came back against the Clippers (on Nov. 25), it felt pretty natural,” he said. “Boom, I was right in. But then, again, I’m out, I’m in, I’m out a little bit. Not playing my best basketball, not being as efficient. That adds up a little bit to the team. But now I look forward to having a good, long stretch of being healthy and getting in a good rhythm and us hitting our stride.”
  • Former Celtic Javonte Green could be a worthwhile trade target before the February 6 deadline, suggests Brian Robb of MassLive. The 31-year-old swingman has been averaging 21.3 minutes per night for the Pelicans, but his playing time might decline now that the team is healthier. He holds an expiring minimum-salary contract and likely won’t have a future in New Orleans. Robb sees him as someone who could provide wing depth for Boston at the price of a second-round pick or two.

Celtics Notes: Brown, Home Losses, Porzingis, R. Williams

The Celtics had a relatively smooth path to last year’s NBA title, claiming the top spot in the East by a wide margin with 64 wins, then cruising through four rounds in the playoffs. Things have been different this season as the defending champs are just 8-7 in their last 15 games and may face a tough fight to hold onto the second seed. After Friday’s home loss to Sacramento, Jaylen Brown talked to reporters, including Brian Robb of MassLive, about what has gone differently.

“Teams have adjusted to how we kind of played early in the season and we’re making adjustments back,” Brown said. “We’ve gotta be better at protecting the basket and we gotta figure out how to win games in different ways. I think that we’ve been injured for a good majority part of the year. Now a lot of our guys are all healthy all on the same floor at the same time, so just figuring that rhythm out. So, like I said, I believe in this group. We’re going to figure it out.”

Friday marked just the third game all season that Boston has entered with a fully healthy roster, although it didn’t seem to matter in the 17-point rout. Robb notes that the Celtics have struggled to adjust to Kristaps Porzingis after he missed the first few weeks while recovering from offseason surgery, as he and Jayson Tatum tend to prefer a slower pace than the rest of the team.

Brown still believes the players will figure things out.

“It’s basketball at the end of the day and we got a bunch of talented and intelligent basketball minds,” he said. “We just have to think the game and I think just our pace has a lot to do with it, just get into our spacing, I think we posted a lot tonight and it kind of slowed things down. It kinda gets guys out of rhythm. We gotta keep the pace and keep everybody engaged, and I think how we get the ball up the floor, how we get to get to the corners and all that stuff has an effect on our offense.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • The Celtics heard some boos from the home crowd during the final quarter of Friday’s game, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. They were a result of increasingly common struggles at TD Garden, where the team is just 13-7 after going 37-4 last season. “Honestly, I like it,” Porzingis said. “It’s kind of deserved. They expect high level from us, high level based off our talent and what we’ve shown in the past. … I think when we’re not giving our all, I think that’s the most deserved boos. So it’s normal and that’s just a sign of them wanting us to bring up our level, bring up our energy. And we have to respond to that.”
  • Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe examines some of the reasons for the Celtics’ recent downturn, including poor fourth-quarter numbers, inconsistent three-point shooting and slow pace of play. He also points to a disappointing start by Porzingis, who addressed his performance Friday night. “I haven’t been at, like, my top shape yet,” he said. “It’s been tough to have this kind of a summer and the surgery and everything. Not to make an excuse, but obviously I just haven’t been able to get back into that really top, top shape for playing. And then these small things [like ankle sprains] obviously derail you a little bit again.”
  • In a video produced by the Trail Blazers (YouTube link), center Robert Williams talks about the shock of being traded by the Celtics shortly before the start of last season, Terada relays in a separate story. “I was in my basement in Boston and my agent texts me like, ‘It’s tough, but we gotta let you go,’ whatever, whatever,” Williams recalls. “I respect that always. It’s always love on that side for the opportunities. I was sad. It was my first trade. I was sad for like two or three days.”

And-Ones: Cousins, All-Star Voting, 2025 Draft, More

Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins hasn’t played in the league since finishing the 2021/22 season with Denver, but he continues to compete professionally in non-NBA leagues around the world. The 34-year-old center is joining Selenge Bodons in Mongolia, according to announcements from the club on Instagram and Cousins on Facebook.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Cousins averaged 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in 654 regular season appearances for seven NBA teams from 2010-22. Cousins’ career was derailed by a series of major leg injuries, including a torn ACL and torn Achilles, which reduced his effectiveness on both ends of the court in his later NBA seasons.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum Named Players Of The Week

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).

The two perennial MVP candidates are the first two repeat Player of the Week winners for the 2024/25 season. Tatum was named the East’s Player of the Week on October 28, while Jokic earned the honor in the West on November 11.

Jokic led the Nuggets to a 3-1 record during the week of Dec. 30-Jan. 5, putting up an incredible triple-double average of 36.5 points, 16.5 rebounds, and 11.3 assists in those four outings. He had back-to-back 40+ point performances against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, including a 41-point, 18-rebound effort in Friday’s loss.

Tatum’s numbers over the course of a 3-1 week for Boston weren’t quite so gaudy. The star forward averaged 25.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.8 steals in 34.8 minutes per night, leading the Celtics to victories over Toronto, Minnesota, and Houston before falling on Sunday to Oklahoma City.

Jokic beat out fellow nominees Anthony Davis, LeBron James, De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Wembanyama for the Western Conference award, per the NBA (Twitter link). Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, Joel Embiid, Darius Garland, Tyrese Haliburton, and Coby White were the other nominees in the East.

Atlantic Notes: Brown, Towns, Knicks, Martin

Celtics All-Star wing Jaylen Brown has seen his injury status upgraded ahead of Boston’s Sunday tilt against Oklahoma City. According to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), the 6’6″ forward will play his first game of 2025 after having been sidelined with a right shoulder strain since New Year’s Eve.

The 28-year-old has been in fine form when he has played for the 26-9 Celtics. Brown is averaging 24.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per night through 28 healthy games, with shooting splits of .461/.332/.734. The reigning Finals MVP seems well on his way to earning the fourth All-Star berth of his career and should be in the mix for his second All-NBA spot.

As Noa Dalzell of CLNS Sports tweets, Brown’s availability marks the first time in 17 games that Boston will be fielding a fully healthy rotation.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Knicks All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns seems to have dodged a major injury after exiting an eventual 139-126 Saturday loss to the Bulls late, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Towns departed the game with just over 90 seconds remaining after being on the receiving end of a hard Nikola Vucevic foul while attempting a layup. He was able to walk under his own power, albeit with a noticeable limp. New York ultimately decided that additional testing was unnecessary. “I got hit,” Towns said. “I was going to go for a dunk. Saw [Coby White] was probably not going to give it to me, and then I switched hands, tried to do my best Michael Jordan impression… It hurt. Really all I saw was an and-one that was too late to help us win. Honest to God, I didn’t even know I made it.”
  • Despite leading Chicago 72-63 at the break, the Knicks seemed to lose their verve in the second half, Bondy writes in another story for the New York Post. New York was outscored 41-17 in the third quarter and essentially never recovered. In fairness, the Knicks were playing the second game of a back-to-back set, having also lost to the West-leading Thunder on Friday. “Back-to-backs are part of the league,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said, conceding that his team losing steam could be the result of a Chicago energy advantage. “Couple that with [the Bulls] were off for three days. I knew they were going to be high energy. And I thought offensively we scored plenty. Defensively, we have to do better.
  • First-year Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez heaped high praise on young two-way player Tyrese Martin on Saturday, writes Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. With forward Cameron Johnson and guards Cam Thomas, D’Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons injured, Brooklyn had to lean on its depth for help against the Sixers in a blowout loss Saturday. Martin chipped in 16 points, five boards and three dimes. “Tyrese has been great the whole year,” Fernandez said. “He’s been consistent. Consistent in the rotation, for the most part, and he’s taking advantage of his opportunities. It starts, not just right now, it starts in the summer. He was fighting for a two-way spot. He did all the right things every single day… And now he’s getting NBA minutes and doing a great job.”