William Chisholm Rumors

Celtics Notes: Brown, Chisholm, Boucher, Hauser

September 13th, 2025 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics appear headed for a step backward due to Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury and the loss of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, who were both shipped out in cost-cutting moves. However, Jaylen Brown expressed optimism about the upcoming season in an interview this week on V-103 FM in Atlanta, relays Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe.

“I know Boston, it looks gloomy right now, obviously with JT being out and us kind of ending the year, but it’s a lot to look forward to,” Brown said. “I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end, so I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

Being in his hometown, Brown received a question about possibly joining the Hawks someday. With four years left on his $304MM supermax extension, it’s not a realistic possibility anytime soon, but Brown left the door open. When host Darian Morgan said he’d like to see Brown in a Hawks uniform, Brown replied, “I feel you. I think my grandma would too.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

New majority owner William Chisholm shares Brown’s outlook about the team’s prospects, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Chisholm believes other players will seize the opportunity to replace the stars who are no longer available. “I think they’re going to surprise some people,” Chisholm said. “I think this is a good team and I think we have a really good coach and a really good president of basketball operations. I think Payton Pritchard said it in an interview, that we’re going to surprise some people, and I think there’s real talent here that hasn’t been fully realized.”
Newly acquired Chris Boucher may be the favorite going into camp to win the starting job at power forward, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Coach Joe Mazzulla’s handling of the four spot should provide an indication of how he plans to approach the season, Robb adds. Using the 6’9″ Boucher alongside Neemias Queta would give the team more size on defense and better rebounding. Another option is to start shooting specialist Sam Hauser, which would satisfy Mazzulla’s tactical reliance on a three-point barrage but would leave the Celtics vulnerable in other areas. Robb mentions Josh Minott as a potential wild card who could wind up earning regular minutes.
Second apron concerns mean Holiday and Porzingis would likely have been traded even if Tatum hadn’t gotten injured, but some other moves might have played out differently, Robb adds in the same piece. He believes Al Horford or Luke Kornet would have been re-signed if Tatum had been healthy, and the Celtics might have made a stronger effort to add low-cost veteran free agent help.

Chisholm, Grousbeck Plan To Keep Celtics In Title Contention

August 20th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

After the Celtics announced their new ownership structure on Tuesday, majority owner and team governor William Chisholm and alternate governor Wyc Grousbeck talked to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe about their plans for the future.

Chisholm, who headed up the group that purchased the franchise from the Grousbeck family at a valuation of $6.1 billion, said he understands the immediate need to cut costs to escape the second apron and get control of the team’s salary structure. However, he promised that won’t affect his overall vision for the franchise.

“We’re not playing for second; we’re playing for championships and banners,” Chisholm said. “We’re playing for them in the near term, although we obviously had to do some things to get below the second apron. But we’re also playing for them in the medium and long term. The second apron means you can’t do it by just throwing money at the problem. You have to do it with talent, you have to do it with leadership, and with Wyc and with (president of basketball operations Brad Stevens) and (president Rich Gotham) and (coach Joe Mazzulla), I feel like we have the best leaders in the league.”

Chisholm also expressed optimism that the Celtics can exceed expectations this season with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard leading the way. He added that there’s “real talent” on the roster “that hasn’t been fully realized.”

Chisholm also emphasized that his plan to run the team in a close partnership with Grousbeck hasn’t changed. League rules prevented Grousbeck from retaining his position as governor because he owns less than 15% of the franchise, but both men insist that’s a technicality that won’t affect day-to-day operations.

“When it became clear the governor title was not going to be available because of technical reasons, because of math, Bill said, ‘Well, then we’re just not going to use that word around the office.’ So that says a lot about Bill, that he doesn’t care,” Grousbeck said. “He just wants to do the right thing for the team, and I feel the exact same way. We’re shoulder to shoulder.”

They also addressed the decision to give Mazzulla a multiyear extension ahead of what should be his most challenging season as head coach. Grousbeck said they want him “happy and empowered” as he leads a team that’s suddenly in the middle of the pack in the East.

“I’m really excited to see what he does in this kind of environment,” Chisholm added. “I think people will really appreciate what he’s all about. When he doesn’t have the loaded team, what can he do? And I think that’s going to be really interesting, and I have every confidence he’s going to crush it.”

Celtics Announce New Ownership Structure, Titles

August 19th, 2025 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

Following last week’s announcement that the NBA’s Board of Governors had approved the sale of the Celtics to a group led by William Chisholm, the team put out a press release on Tuesday confirming the ownership change and the closing of the sale while sharing more details on the new hierarchy at the top of the organization.

As expected, Chisholm has taken over as the Celtics’ governor, with Aditya Mittal and former majority owner Wyc Grousbeck named alternate governors.

Although the plan to have Grousbeck retain his governor position until 2028 fell through, he’ll still hold the CEO and co-owner titles, and will run day-to-day operations alongside Chisholm, per today’s press release. Grousbeck retained a stake in the franchise, but no longer controls at least a 15% share, making him ineligible to remain on as the team’s primary governor.

As for Mittal, reporting in May indicated that he was expected to be the second-largest stakeholder in Chisholm’s ownership group. In addition to Chisholm, Mittal, and Grousbeck, shareholders in the franchise include Bruce Beal, Andrew Bialecki, Dom Ferrante, Robert Hale, Mario Ho, Ian Loring, and the investment firm Sixth Street.

“This truly is a dream come true for me and my family,” Chisholm, a lifelong Celtics fan, said in a statement. “I feel so fortunate to be here as part of this new investor group, who are accomplished, driven people who care deeply about the Celtics and the Boston community. On behalf of our group I am thrilled to partner with Wyc, (president of basketball operations) Brad Stevens and (president of business operations) Rich Gotham to move this outstanding organization forward. We are committed to building on the legacy of the Celtics and raising banners, and I can’t wait for the team to get back out there this fall.”

The Celtics’ announcement also includes a brief statement from Grousbeck:

“The Celtics have been my life’s work for the past 23 years. This incredible ride is now continuing. I am fired up to be shoulder to shoulder with Bill as we pull every lever to go after another banner. There is nothing better than winning.”

Board Of Governors Unanimously Approves Sale Of Celtics

August 13th, 2025 at 4:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The sale of the Celtics to an investor group led by William Chisholm has received unanimous approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors, the league announced (via Twitter).

The results of the vote were never really in doubt, but it’s significant that there was no opposition to Chisholm’s purchase. The league states that the deal is expected to be finalized soon.

Chisholm, a Massachusetts native and lifelong Celtics fan, reached a tentative agreement in March to purchase the franchise for a $6.1 billion valuation, which set a record at the time as the largest amount ever paid for a North American sports team. That number has since been exceeded by the sale of the Lakers for a $10 billion valuation.

Chisholm submitted the highest offer among four groups that were bidding for the team. According to Brian Robb of MassLive, his other stakeholders include Aditya Mittal, Robert Hale and Bruce A. Beal Jr., along with Sixth Street, a private investment firm.

Chisholm’s group will obtain a 51% stake in the team from the Grousbeck family in the first phase of the sale and will purchase the remaining shares in 2028.

When the sale was first announced, Wyc Grousbeck intended to remain in his role as the team’s governor through the 2027/28 season. However, a report on Tuesday indicates that’s no longer possible because Grousbeck will control less than the 15% minimum stake that the NBA requires for the person who holds that position.

Instead, Chisholm will become lead governor as soon as the sale is official with Grousbeck serving as alternate governor and CEO through the 2027/28 season. Chisholm is buying majority control of the franchise now and will purchase control of the rest of the team in 2028 at a reported valuation of $7.3 billion.

Chisholm will take over the Celtics during a time of transition after years of being one of the NBA’s elite teams. Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury coupled with a second-round playoff exit have placed an emphasis on cost-cutting measures to lower the team’s tax bill and escape second apron restrictions. Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet are already gone from last year’s roster, and more money-saving moves may take place before the new season begins.

Wyc Grousbeck Won’t Continue To Be Celtics’ Governor

August 12th, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

3:08 pm: Chisholm and Grousbeck still intend to run the Celtics together for the next few years, according to Shelburne, who reports (via Twitter) that Grousbeck is giving up his governor title because he’ll control less than the 15% minimum stake required for the person who holds that position.

10:50 am: When the Grousbeck family agreed to sell the Celtics to William Chisholm, the stated plan was for Wyc Grousbeck to remain in his role as the team’s governor through the 2027/28 season. The expectation was that Grousbeck would give up his position when Chisholm’s group – which is initially buying a 51% stake – purchased the rest of the shares in the franchise in 2028.

However, Grousbeck will no longer retain the governor title following the first stage of the ownership transfer, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania and Ramona Shelburne. According to Charania and Shelburne, Chisholm will immediately become the Celtics’ new governor once his purchase of the team is approved, which is expected to happen very soon.

ESPN’s report doesn’t specify the reason for the change of plans, but it was an unorthodox approach to have Chisholm acquiring majority control of the team while keeping the team’s former majority owner in the top organizational role.

Grousbeck will continue to operate as the Celtics’ CEO and will also serve as an alternate governor once the sale is complete, per Charania and Shelburne.

This isn’t the first time in recent years that a plan to have an NBA owner remain in a prominent position in the organization after he sells the team has fallen through — Mark Cuban was reportedly expected to remain the Mavericks’ top basketball decision-maker after he sold controlling interest in his franchise to the Aldersons and Patrick Dumont, but that didn’t end up happening.

The Lakers announced a similar arrangement when Mark Walter reached an agreement to buy control of the team from the Buss family. The expectation is that Jeanie Buss will stay in her role as governor in Los Angeles for several seasons after Walter assumes control of the franchise.

Given what happened with Cuban and now Grousbeck, we’ll see if that comes to fruition, but it’s worth noting that Walter has been a minority owner in the Lakers for several years and had a preexisting relationship with the Buss family when he agreed to purchase the club, whereas the buyers and sellers in Dallas and Boston hadn’t previously worked together.

Grousbeck will step down as Boston’s governor after holding the position for over two decades. The Grousbeck family bought the Celtics in 2002 and has since helped guide the organization to a pair of championships (in 2008 and 2024). They bought the team for $360MM and sold it at a valuation of $6.1 billion.

Celtics’ Sale Expected To Close Within Two Weeks

August 7th, 2025 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

The sale of the Celtics to an ownership group headed up by William Chisholm is expected to close either late next week or early the following week, three sources familiar with the process tell Kurt Badenhausen and Scott Soshnick of Sportico.

The purchase requires the approval of the NBA’s Board of Governors, but that group doesn’t have to meet in person for a formal meeting, according to Badenhausen and Soshnick, who note that the vote can be conducted remotely.

Chisholm reached an agreement back in March to buy the Celtics from the Grousbeck family in two stages. Chisholm is purchasing a controlling interest in the franchise for a valuation of $6.1 billion and will take over from Wyc Grousbeck after the 2027/28 season when he and his group buy the rest of the club for a valuation of $7.3 billion.

While Chisholm is the lead investor in the Celtics, he’ll be joined by a number of minority shareholders, including ArcelorMittal CEO Aditya Mittal, who will be the second-largest stakeholder in the franchise and could become the team’s alternate governor. In addition to Chisholm and Mittal, the new Celtics ownership group will include current minority stakeholder Robert Hale, Bruce A. Beal Jr., and private equity firm Sixth Street.

After paying nearly $53MM in luxury tax penalties and operating over the second tax apron last season, the Celtics have made a concerted effort to cut costs this summer, with star forward Jayson Tatum expected to miss most or all of 2025/26 due to a torn Achilles.

Boston has moved Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Georges Niang (who was initially acquired in the Porzingis deal) in financially motivated trades and has reduced what would’ve been a record-setting tax payroll (salary and tax penalties) from $540MM to a projected $239MM, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Celtics Notes: Bassey, Chisholm, Gonzalez, Brown

July 12th, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Charles Bassey wasn’t on the Celtics‘ Summer League roster when the week began, but he was one of the stars of Friday’s win over Memphis, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. The free agent big man, who’s playing a rare fifth year in the Las Vegas league, came off the bench to contribute 14 points and 11 rebounds in 18 minutes.

“It was last-minute,” Bassey said. “I got a call from my agent and flew out the next day and started training camp with them. It’s been good, man. It’s been good from training camp to today’s game. The energy has been great, vibing with these guys and coaches, it’s been fun. Everything’s been good.”

A source tells Robb that Boston has expressed interest in Bassey in the past, but now there’s a clear need for size with Kristaps Porzingis traded, Luke Kornet leaving in free agency and Al Horford likely to follow. The Celtics don’t have a proven center on their current roster, which explains why Bassey jumped at the chance for a tryout in Las Vegas.

“Great effort, rebounding, blocking shots, rim protection,” Bassey said of what he can provide. “I bring great defense to the team. I just play my role. I know what a team needs from me and I know what they want from me and I do it every night.”

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens didn’t speculate on Bassey’s chances of making the 15-man roster, Robb adds in a separate piece, but he was impressed with Bassey’s first outing.

“I don’t want to speak for him, what his goals might be,” Stevens said. “He’s a guy that’s probably playing for what’s next. I just think he’s a guy we’ve paid attention to from afar for a long time. We’re watching all these guys all the time and I thought he did a really good job yesterday. He probably was the biggest reason we won the game I thought.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

The sale of the team is expected to be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors when it meets this week in Las Vegas, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Stevens said new owner William Chisholm remains excited about assuming control of the franchise in spite of Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury, which led to the decision to part with some high-priced talent. “He didn’t take over at the easiest of times when you talk about the second apron issues that we talked about the other day, and Tatum’s injury, and everything else,” Stevens said. “But he’s so level-headed and he’s got such a good way about him. I’m really excited to have him around.”
Stevens was impressed by first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez in his Summer League debut, Himmelsbach adds. Stevens reveals that the Celtics told Gonzalez to take four days off after he helped Real Madrid win the Spanish League title, but he showed up two days later. “I think he really wants to be good,” Stevens said. “You can tell he’s got a good work ethic, a good compete level. There’s a care factor there and, you know, he’s just learning.”
Tatum’s injury means Jaylen Brown is preparing to be the number one option on offense for the first time in his career, Robb states in another story. Brown discussed the challenge in a livestream with Kyrie Irving, saying, “People haven’t seen me at my best because we have a loaded roster, so sometimes you need to do what needs to be done as a team.”

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Simons, Sale, Roster, Brown, White

June 25th, 2025 at 12:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Celtics forward Torrey Craig has provided an update on recovering All-Star forward Jayson Tatum. In an interview with CLNS Boston’s Bobby Manning and Noa Dalzell on their show “The Garden Report” (YouTube video link), Craig spoke about Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles surgery.

Tatum is currently four weeks into his rehabilitation, having torn the tendon in Game 4 of an eventual second round playoff series loss to New York.

“(I) see him smiling and laughing and joking around,” Craig said. “I just look forward to his recovery, the progress he’s making, and it’s always good to see him in good spirits.”

Craig, 34, is an unrestricted free agent this summer. With Tatum on the shelf through much or all of 2025/26, he may be an option the team considers on another minimum-salary contract as it looks to fill out its wing depth.

There’s more out of Boston:

The Celtics’ newest guard, Anfernee Simons, asked to be traded away from Portland even ahead of the 2024/25 season, a source informs Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). According to Washburn’s source, Simons – an Orlando-area native – had been interested the Magic. Orlando addressed its scoring guard needs with its blockbuster deal for Desmond Bane earlier this summer, but Simons eventually got the change of scenery he sought.
Although the Celtics have yet to officially be sold to new majority owner William Chisholm, the club’s impending sale is still on track to be approved and finalized in the not-too-distant future, sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).
Thanks to their deals of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics are now below the NBA’s punitive second luxury tax apron. Brian Robb of MassLive takes a look at potential next steps for Boston following those deals.
During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” (YouTube video link), NBA insider Brian Windhorst confirmed colleague Shams Charania’s report that the Celtics are getting calls about stars Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Windhorst suggested that Boston’s decision on whether or not to move those players may happen sooner rather than later. “There are teams in the top 10 (of tonight’s draft) who are making offers,” Windhorst said. “And you’d potentially be able to get replacement players and a draft pick. I don’t know if Brad Stevens and his staff is in love with one of these top guys. Maybe they are. But that’s what is on the table. … I say at midnight, Jaylen Brown is still a Celtic and Derrick White is still a Celtic, and they run it back, and they get ready to go in ’26/27.”

Celtics Notes: Sale, Porzingis, Holiday, Hauser, White, Tatum

June 7th, 2025 at 7:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the NBA’s Board of Governors set to vote on the Celtics sale later this month, there don’t appear to be any reasons that it would be rejected, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. New majority owner William Chisholm finalized the funding for the $6.1 billion purchase in May, with Robert Hale, Bruce A. Beal Jr. and Sixth Street among the other notable investors.

The group will take over a 51% stake of the team this summer, with the remainder of the purchase to be completed in 2028. Some concerns were raised about a two-stage deal after a similar arrangement in Minnesota had to be worked out in court, but commissioner Adam Silver didn’t raise any objections when asked about the purchase during his press conference Thursday before the start of the NBA Finals.

“I’d just say that the Boston Celtics deal I don’t think of as a staged deal,” Silver said. “They’re still in the process of completing it. It’s really more about a phase-out of current ownership. I think there Bill Chisholm, who is the incoming owner, he’s got to sort of straighten out some affairs in his life and his business. He’s currently located on the West Coast. I think he’s a huge admirer of (current majority owner) Wyc Grousbeck and the way he’s been running that team. Obviously their results speak for themselves.”

There’s more from Boston:

Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser are all likely to be traded this summer if management is determined to get below the tax threshold, Robb states in a mailbag column. With a $10MM salary next season, Hauser should be easy to move without taking back another player in return, Robb adds. That won’t be true for Porzingis ($30.7MM) or Holiday ($32.4MM), but Robb suggests that Boston can reduce the salaries it takes on by getting other teams involved.
As the Celtics consider how to cut payroll this summer, Derrick White should be kept off the table in any trade talks, contends Chad Finn of The Boston Globe. Finn points out that White holds the franchise record for the most made three-pointers in a season, and he’s an elite shot blocker for a guard. He’s only 30 with a relatively affordable contract, and he can be part of the foundation to rebuild around when Jayson Tatum returns from his Achilles injury.
Tatum offered an update today on his recovery from surgery, tweeting, “Day 25… days starting to get a little easier.”

Aditya Mittal Joining Celtics’ New Ownership Group

May 22nd, 2025 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Aditya Mittal is expected to be the second-largest stakeholder of the Celtics once the sale of the team to William Chisholm‘s group is completed, according to Scott Soshnick, Kurt Badenhausen, and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico, who say Mittal could also become the team’s alternate governor in the future.

Mittal, the CEO of the steel giant ArcelorMittal and a member of one of India’s richest families, is investing roughly $1 billion in the Celtics, per Sportico.

Chisholm reached an agreement in March with the current Celtics ownership group to buy the team in two stages — his group is expected to assume 51% control of the organization this year and then buy out the remaining shares in 2028, with current governor Wyc Grousbeck remaining in that position for a few more years.

However, reporting in the wake of that agreement indicated that Chisholm’s bid – which initially valued the franchise at $6.1 billion (the valuation will reportedly increase to $7.3 billion for the second part of the sale) – was not yet fully financed. Subsequent reports have suggested that Chisholm’s bid is now fully financed and the sale is expected to close in the near future. Mittal’s investment helped close the funding gap, according to Sportico.

As Soshnick, Badenhausen, and Novy-Williams outline, Mittal is the son of Lakshmi Mittal, a Goldman Sachs board member since 2008 who is worth $23.9 billion, per Bloomberg. Goldman Sachs has served as the financial advisor for Chisholm’s group during the sale process.

In addition to Chisholm and Mittal, the new Celtics ownership group will include current minority stakeholder Robert Hale, Bruce A. Beal Jr., and private equity firm Sixth Street, as previously reported.

According to Sportico, Sixth Street is expected to own roughly 12.5% of the team once the sale is finalized. Earlier in the process, there were concerns about Sixth Street having committed more money to the bid than Chisholm, which wouldn’t be permitted, but that will no longer be the case once the deal is finalized. The majority stakeholder in an NBA franchise – Chisholm, in this case – must control at least 15% of the team.