Boston Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck has officially agreed to sell his controlling stake in the franchise, but despite the impending change in ownership, he is expected to maintain his leadership role with the team until the conclusion of the 2027/28 NBA season.
During this transitional period, Grousbeck will work closely with William Chisholm and his investment group, ensuring a smooth handover as the defending champions adjust to a new ownership structure.
A critical aspect of this transition will be evaluating the team’s financial strategy, particularly how long the Celtics can sustain one of the NBA’s highest payrolls.
The organization currently finds itself operating above the league’s restrictive second tax apron, a position that not only limits certain roster-building mechanisms but also results in additional penalties, such as the freezing of their 2032 draft pick – rendering it ineligible for trade during the upcoming offseason.
While the sheer cost of exceeding the luxury tax is an undeniable factor, Grousbeck emphasized that the more pressing challenge stems from the basketball-related penalties tied to the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Speaking on WEEI, as cited by Brian Robb of MassLive.com, Grousbeck explained that the new rules were specifically crafted to discourage teams from excessive spending, not merely through financial deterrents but also roster-building limitations.
“It’s not the luxury tax bill, it’s the basketball penalties,” Grousbeck clarified when discussing Boston’s ability to remain well above the tax threshold.
“The new CBA was designed by the league to stop teams from going crazy. They decided that it’s not good enough to go after the wallets because the fans can be like, ‘Hey, find someone who can afford to spend $500 million a year or whatever it is, like the English Premier League.’ I know seven guys who own Premier League teams in England with no spending caps, and most of them don’t know what the hell is going on.”
Grousbeck further elaborated on the significance of these restrictions, noting that navigating the second tax apron will require both skill and a degree of luck on the part of team executives.
“The basketball penalties mean that it’s even more of a premium now to have your basketball general manager be brilliant and lucky,” he continued.
“Because you have to navigate carefully – you can’t just stay in the second apron indefinitely. I predict that under the next 40 years of the CBA, no team will remain in the second apron for more than two consecutive seasons.”
With these financial and roster-related constraints in place, the Celtics’ new ownership group will face critical decisions about managing payroll while maintaining a championship-contending team.
Celtics' Grousbeck Talks Tax Aprons, Sale, Chisholm, Arena https://t.co/tvlnKuTTy5 pic.twitter.com/iOURrfMDGl
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 22, 2025
